hens with babies

[witchmnstr]

hello,

I am a little new at raising chickens. We got some last year and hatched and brooded them ourself. this year i let my hens hatch their own. right now i have 3 hens with babies and 2 more still on their boxes. my coop is about 10 x 10 i have shut the door so the other hens and roosters wont bother the new babies. will the 3 hens get along ok. they have been kind of puffing up at each other and each other babies. they have been together for a full day, and when the other 2 boxes hatch i will have 5 hens together. any advise

witchmnstr

 

[cluckingcanadian]

I just had a hen hatch out 12 babies. I kept her with the flock but in a kennel during brooding. Once she got off her nest I seperated her (and babes) from the flock for a couple of days. Yesterday I reintroduced her (and chicks) to the flock for a couple of sessions throughout the day. The chicks got picked on, very briefy, and she was picked on by some of the more dominant hens. Even though she is lower in the pecking order she did put any (and all) hens in line when it came to her chicks. After several hard pecks to a few hens the rest just steered clear. Some members of the flock really acted as if the babies didn't exist.

Today I let her and her chicks remain with the flock. I know she is happy to be back with her group and have access to the outside. She took her chicks outside for the first time today. I was a nervous wreck but mama did fine as did her sweet chicks.

We have to remember that animals have been doing this job long before we ever decided to get involved.

Try to sit back and relax.

Good luck.

 

[witchmnstr]

thank you for the reply

i have about 30 babies and about 20 eggs that will hatch in about a week. i was thinking about opening the coop tomorrow so the 3 hens aren't so close together. i was at work all day and when i got home i found a lot of feather around the coop and 1 dead baby looked liked it got steped on not pecked. the 3 hens were in the corners with their babies. they may have worked things out today when i was at work. thanks again.