Little help and advice please, babys

[Gazinga]

went out to the coop today and i now have 2 hens with little heads peaking out from under their wings! so my few questions are:
1) can I / should I move them to a seperate coop and run which i have set up as a kind of "nursery" for the safety of the babies and the mothers.

2) if i shoud move them, then when?

3) would the other chooks hurt teh babies if i left them in the main run.

4) if i do put teh two hens and all their babies in a seperate coop and run, are there any special issues i should be concerned with? Or will the mother pretty much do it all.

***note i have already seen to the chick feeders with chick food and waters, low water levels to avoid drowning....etc....

 

[Gazinga]

?

 

[PunkinPeep]

I'm still experimenting with different ways to deal with my broodies, but i'll share what i've noticed as it pertains to you.

It seems that the first couple days after hatch, that the mamas are still trying to snap out of their broody trance. During those first couple of days (after i learned my lesson) i definitely put the mamas and babies in a separate run. They will be fine with the flock, if you want to do that, but i have noticed that they do better, and the babies get to do a little more running around, if they have their own space for a couple days.

You can move them as soon as all the chicks are done hatching and drying out. Mama will most likely plop down wherever you put her and let the babies snuggle up under her until she or they are ready to explore a little more.

Since you have two mamas hatching at the same time, just watch them. I have heard of one mama being aggressive toward another mama's chicks. For me, however, this didn't happen. My two who hatched together, mothered together too. After a week, i couldn't tell which chicks belonged to which mama. They were just one happy family. I think my scenario was probably more common, but it's good to be on the look out for any issues.

Pretty much, mama will teach the chicks everything they need to know. I haven't had much incidence of pasty butt, but it's a good idea to watch for it just in case. Also, when you move them, just check out each one of the chicks to make sure everyone looks right. It's normal for them to sometimes be dragging a dried out umbilical cord with them at first, but anything protruding or bloody is a problem.

Congratulations! I have little heads poking out from under one of my hens this morning too. Isn't it fun!

 

[Gazinga]

pumpkin - thanks alot! yes it is really fun abd a wee bit stressfull, i keep checking tp see if they are alright. im trying to figure out when they are all done hatching. i guess ill give it two days from first hatch then move them to their own run for a bit

 

[chick4chicks]

Congrats on the new chicks. Hope all goes well.