I'm new at this! Hen about to hatch her chicks....Hopefully

[windtryst]

At one week my chicks can hop up and down off the straw bale to get in their coop no problem!

I put the food in the milk crate to keep the others out...
Your chicks will be fine, just watch the mom, she will chase away all the others if they get to close.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Thanks for the milk crate idea. I never thought of that. So much simpler than building something.

 

[jrhodes]

My hen hatched out 10 chicks. I never separated them from the other hens or roosters. I did put a bale of hay under the nest box because it was about 2 feet off the ground. They loved sitting on it and playing around. They are now 8 weeks old and are free rangers during the day. They kinda stay to themselves and the other hens do their own thing. At night they all come back to the coop. I suggest you just let nature takes it's course. Less stress that way!

 

[detroit313]

I was lookingnaround the forum for an answer to my question and I think this is the best place for me to post. I have a small dillema.

I have a rir banty that is grown and just started laying. She was lonely so I decided to get her some company and bought three one week old chicks. I tried to "introduce" them and the big one started to peck real bad at the baby. Why? That was the first day. Then I tried again two days later and the same thing. The big one kind of stopped but then the little chick jumped on top of her and started to peck at her. Why? Is this going to always happen or will this stop after a while? Will I ever be able to keep them in the same coop? Is there a way to stop this behavior? Any and all comments are appreciated. Thanks

 

[SimplyForties]

If you post this as a new message in this forum, I'm sure you'll get some help!

 

[Portia]

Detroit,
Hens often will not accept chicks unless they are broody, thus looking to hatch & raise some chicks. Otherwise they simply see them as interlopers and will peck at them, to the death even. My mama hens keep the non-broody hens away from their chicks because they WILL peck at them and kill them. Since your hen is NOT broody, she is not ready to be a mom and will react by attacking them & possibly them her. As they get older, this will continue as the older hen continues to remind them of her status as top-hen.
Because a hen can easily kill a young chick with a single well-placed peck, I'd keep them separate until they are older and can be together without harming each other.