Keeping new Silkie chicks safe

[Yvonnensilkies]

Hi everybody!! I have 5 free range silkies (2 roos, 3 hens) that I inherited a couple of months ago and one of the hens is currently sitting on eggs that should be due to hatch in a couple of weeks. I got them young (adolescent I should say) so these will be her first babies. They all sleep in a coop that I built inside a nice roomy grassy enclosure at night to keep them safe from predators. During the day I open the enclosure door and they all free range the whole day in our large garden, which has very high walls and is closed off from the outside world. I would ideally like to let nature take its course and leave the hen to look after her babys by herself. My question is, will I need to separate her and her chicks from the rest of the silkie flock when the babies arrive or will they live happily and safely together? My next question is, just how good is a silkie hen at protecting her babies from predators? Will the rest of the flock protect them too? Thanks so much...

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Depends on the mama. I personally like to separate mama and babies as soon as they hatch (or before but you run the risk of disturbing her broody status) until about one week old. Then the chicks are faster.

Some roosters will protect mama and chicks, others not so much. They have individual personalities and so it is hard to say. Some roosters are ornery.