How do you care for a new mama and chicks, in the main flock?

[mychickenbrood]

I am trying to figure out what I am supposed to do with my new chicks that their mama hen is taking care of. How do I make sure they get enough of their food, when their mama is running all over the coop, scratching and pecking at I don't know what. She has food to eat too, but I put in the chick feed, and the other hens and sparrows eat it! I put a small waterer in there for the chicks, as the main one is elevated for the adults. Anything else I should do?

They free range, but the mama has not taken her four day old babes out of the coop yet.

 

[Chick Charm]

If she is a good Mama she will teach em better than we could. I'd keep the chick feed in the coop with the babies and let mama do the rest.

Wish you the best.

 

[TexasChickenUnv]

I've got 2 broody hens being momma to 5 babies, too. Another day or two and your momma hen will probably start leading them all over the place. She's teaching them how to forage.

I keep the chick feed full, and when I refill it, I toss a handful of scratch elsewhere to distract the big girls. It doesn't hurt them to eat the chick feed, but of course that's a pretty expensive way to feed a bunch of grown hens! (and it's a little heavy on the protein)

Ours are in a good-sized run, but the chicks are small enough to fit thru the wire, and we do let them out so they're sort of free range. I'd guess they probably get 50% forage and 50% feed, based on my sitting and watching them for hours on end, I mean, my astute poultry observations.

 

[mychickenbrood]

Thanks both of you. She is a good mom and they seem to be thriving. I put some feed on the ground, because the hen seems to insist on eating off the floor of the coop. Lots of rice straw on the floor and she scratches it all over. Also made a little nest for her and chicks in the corner on the floor. So adorable. So I guess I'll let her do what she does and provide both kinds of feed and leave it be.

I have at least one more broody hen now, so put eggs under her the same day, so that any that hatch will hatch within a day of each other. It's fun to watch them being raised La Natural!