I have a chick!

[fishin-nole]

Both of my black copper marans went broody so I let them have some eggs. Today I went and checked while they were eating and had one pip I think it's called and have a chick this evening. She has one more and the other hen has 1 from my olive egger. The rooster is a speckled Sussex. Mutt chickens on the way.

 

[3riverschick]

Woot !

Woot !

Woot !

How exciting!

Great news!

It's fun when the hens hatch the chicks!

Happy for you,

Karen in western PA

 

[britneylynn]

Ok guys and gals with experience, my husband came home yesterday with a new gen to add to our small flock, but then also came with 6 chicks she hatched. They're separated right now, the babies only 4 days old, what do I need to do to keep mom and babies safe and healthy,

 

[Nupe]

Hope you didn't put the hen in with the rest of your flock already. You'll want to quarantine her for observation. If she does have something, you could expose your flock to it before knowing it exists. I would think the best place for her to be is with her babies. Give them some outside access and let her do her thing.

 

[britneylynn]

No her and the babies are together, separated from everyone else, can I just let her eat the scratch and mash or do I need to buy chick starter? I've read that the babies need to be at least 6 weeks before I can introduce them to the flock

 

[britneylynn]

And in the future if this hen broods again do I need to separate them from everyone again

 

[Nupe]

Ah, I misunderstood when you said they're separate. I thought you were saying the chicks were separate from the hen. I would use either chick starter, or starter/grower. Mama won't mind. The chicks aren't ready for scratch just yet and layer's mash has too much calcium. It could harm the chicks and mama won't need it til she's laying again.

 

[Nupe]

You could try keeping them together as long as the babies can get in and out of the coop. You would also have to put your flock on chick starter/grower or flock raiser and offer eggshell or oyster shells as an extra calcium source for your layers. She may do a good job of protecting them from picking and it would make acclimation easier but it might be simpler for you to have them separate. If you do separate them, keep them visible to each other. Add an adjacent pen or just section off part of your run with a temporary coop. This will also help with acclimation into the flock.

 

[britneylynn]

My flock is free ranged, so I'll build an add on to they're coop that will be a brooder area for her and her chicks, and I'll go pick up the chick starter then, thank u for the advice anything else anyone feels I should know, please all advise is needed and welcome

 

[fishin-nole]

When can I let the chick and hen out of the brooder? The chick is able to jump on the hen's back so it could get back in at night. I converted the coop to a brooder and it's 6" above ground. I put the rest of the flock in pink playhouse jail so they will be able to see and hear the hens and the one chick. The other maran is still setting 1 egg the other 1 rotted.