how long to let momma sit after the first chick is hatched?

[jennifersouza]

Gack, My hubby's at our farm, and I'm here alone with 2 broody chickens hatching today! We thought they were coming later, when he would be home. Hubby usually handles all of this.

I know I have to lift momma and babies out of the nest to let them start roaming (all free range and we don't have to divide up anyone- they all get along.)

How long do I wait after the first chick hatches? I gave her food, the new baby ate, too, and water. She drank and drank. She does not look like she wants to get up at all. We never do any candling, so I wouldn't even know which of the 8 under her are duds or not.

So how long before I let them down?

 

[gryeyes]

Is her nest up high? As long as there is food and water right there, I wouldn't worry about doing anything for 3 days, after a "normal" time for the rest of her clutch to have hatched.

Is she sequestered, or can she exit on her own?

I don't know how your nest box and/or broody quarters are set up, so it's hard to say. In my case, I just leave them alone, because momma will bring out the babies when she's ready to do so. But my nest boxes where broodies hatch eggs are close enough to the ground for chicks to maneuver back into them, through steps and different levels.

 

[jennifersouza]

Yes, her nest is up high. I'll wait, then. They have food, water and each other. There's really no place to roam until they get down. It's just nests about 1 meter off the ground, with a brick base. After they get down, it's all very free and works out really well.

But, I wonder, will the chicks be OK just chilling in the nest with Momma?


(Thanks for your response! I'm a little jumpy about it.)

 

[jennifersouza]

I don't know how your nest box and/or broody quarters are set up, so it's hard to say. In my case, I just leave them alone, because momma will bring out the babies when she's ready to do so. But my nest boxes where broodies hatch eggs are close enough to the ground for chicks to maneuver back into them, through steps and different levels.

When we rearrange things, I'm going to be sure we have a self-exiting set-up. Right now we have to let them down.

 

[gryeyes]

WARMING with Momma is what they'll be happy to do for the first couple of days.

They're still absorbing the yolk - which is why newly hatched chicks can be shipped in the mail.

 

[jennifersouza]

Warming? It's 85-95 with 80-100% humidity almost every day here!