how to keep my flock together?

Southernbell

In the Brooder
8 Years
Dec 22, 2011
71
0
29
okay, so I have this rooster, and 2 hens(all rhode island reds). my hens have just laid 18 fertile chicken eggs that are in the incubator, ready to hatch any second now...when my babies are born, I would like for the mommas to take care of them but idk if they would or not., and if they would, would the Danny The rooster kill them? he is'nt really mean or nice....he's just there..lol! im afraid to try it, because one peck from a chicken and I'll have a dead chick
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.. my hens are nice, only they're not broody, thats why im incubating, because they woiulnt sit on them. I have the set up to take care of the chicks which includes:a big tub, a heat lamp, wood chips for chickens from a feed store, chick starter, and chick feeders and waterers......i will probably just take care of them inside the heated shed inside of their tub under a heat lamp, but still, they ARE very small when they learn how to fly a few inches high to get out of a box....and thats no fun at all! last year when i got chickens, we didnt have an outside setupn for them yet and they kept getting loose in the shed and i spent monthes scraping poop up off the floor of the shed*ugh*!!
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lol.... well, anyways, my question is confusing becaus i talk so much
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! so my question is, when my chicks are old enough to fly out of their box, can they stay outside in a pen/coop with their 2 mommas and daddy? thanks for taking the time to read all of this!
 
Unless the hens have gone broody, they will not care for the chicks. The rooster may or may not attack the chicks, but the other hens may also try to kill the chicks. It's all a huge gamble and best to wait until they are older and can move into the coop all together.
 
Adult chickens will kill chicks. It is best to not move new chicks in with adults until they are the same size. For health reasons, it is best to wait until they are 6 months old.

No, a hen will not take care of chicks if she has not been broody.
 

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