mama and her chicks - where are they safe?

[Lynn WA]

Good morning! My broody hen just hatched 4 chicks 2 days ago - yeah! They're adorable! Anyway, I have them in a large cat carrier which is in the hen house. I have 6 other chickens who need access to the hen house. Should I keep mama and her babies in the cage? Or is it safe to let her take them out and roam the coop? Two of my hens are 14 months old, 3 hens are 4 months old, and the rooster (who was supposed to be a pullet and is being given away today) is 4 months old.
Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[birdlover]

I would open the door on the carrier and let her take them out as she wishes. Mother hens are extremely protective of their chicks and I doubt the others will be allowed near them! I bet she even beats up the 4 months olds if they get too "friendly". I've always let my broody hens and babies out after 2 or 3 days and never had a problem. Be sure to look for other dangers, though, like water they could drown in or places they could fall into and not get out. Have fun! Aren't they the coolest thing since sliced bread?!

 

[Lynn WA]

Thank you! She is very protective of the chicks, but let's me pick them up. Maybe that's because I petted her several times every day while she was on the nest! Since the babies aren't afraid of me, I thought they might not be afraid of the other hens. But you're right - she won't let the others near them.
Guess I'll open the door right now, and keep the big girls' water out of the coop for a while. It would sure make it easier to just let her take care of her babies! And yes, they ARE the cutest things since sliced bread! I love them!

 

[zatsdeb]

I do not let my chicks out with bigger chickens, mamma can't be everywhere. we lost too many that wandered away. I personally take the chicks away and bring them inside if I don't have a separate pen just for her and her chicks. If you have a separate pen for them that is safe that would be the best bet. anything can happen. bigger chickens will pick at them.

 

[Lynn WA]

So you don't let the mama raise them? I have a fairly large brooder and could put all of them in there. If I do that, at some point will the mom want to go back outside and would I then keep the chicks alone in the brooder?

 

[zatsdeb]

we have a nursery so to speak that we have put a hen in to raise her chicks. This summer we put her in there and it was hot, and she ended up smothering one. so we brought the rest inside. I do love to watch them, as long as a chick doesn't get out to the wrong side of the fence, I reinforced the area with chicken wire on welded wire for support.
a large brooder would be good, you don't need a light because they sleep under mamma's wings anyways.
you need to post some pictures!

oh, and the mamma's tend to want to be with their babies for a while and when she does want to leave they are usually able to fend for themselves in the brooder. feathered out they can keep warm.

 

[Lynn WA]

Here are some pictures of my new babies!

First to hatch, July 3rd

My son got to hold the baby chick!

Mama and her babies

the babies, July 5th

 

[Ellie]

How cute they are! I do let my broody hens raise the chicks. You only have four and mine have had four and they do just fine.

Maybe if there are a lot of them, they could lose track, but I have now done this four times with up to four chicks and the hens take care of them beautifully. They take them out a little at a time, teach them to eat, and even take them back in to the shade and water and rest when it is time.

It sure beats my taking care of them like I did the first ones I got from Ideal.

You have a mama, so I would let her do what is natural to her and what hens have been doing for centuries!

Having said that, it is important to make sure that other predators are not around, and I don't let them eat the hen's food, only their own.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Congratulations to the Mama Hen!

I trust my hens to know how best to care for their chicks. And it sure is nice to have an animal doing some of the chores for me! It is possible to keep them along with the rest of your flock, but there's a risk some of the other adults could do lasting harm to a chick. Some chickens are more accepting of chicks than others, some Mamas are more fiercely attentive & protective.

Sometimes it helps to make a place with small openings that only the chicks can get into. Even a cage with bars set wide apart, or a wooden crate, or something. A laundry basket. You could even put the chick feed in there. It can be a place for the chicks to run into if they're being threatened.

But I usually try to keep the hens & chicks separated into their own pen for several weeks or more. Some hens really insist on taking their chicks out to free-range. Often they are just fine, but there is a risk of losing a chicks to predators.

Ideally, especially if you think you'll have more hens brooding, you should construct a separate cage/pen/ark/tractor for your hens & chicks. It'll be a good place for the hens to incubate & raise their chicks, and then, when the hen leaves the chicks after 5-9 weeks or so, you'll have a good place to keep the chicks together until they grow to adulthood.

 

[Judy]

My mama is raising her chicks in with the rest of the flock. I isolated her while she was setting so they wouldn't bother her on the nest, but as soon as the babies were out, I removed the cage. No problem.

It really isn't predictable, though. It should work with a good mama and no really aggressive others in the flock, and I already know mine was a good mama, but truth is, you won't know til you try it.

Some on the forum let nature takes its course because they want good strong flocks who can take care of themselves. I did not want the hassle of trying to integrate the chicks or re-integrate the hen later.

Personal choice, in the end.