mama chicken ready to abandon pea chicks

[old biddy]

I have a mama chicken that hatched out 3 peachicks and has been raising them in a pen for the past 10 weeks. She has most likely had enough of this and wants to get out of the pen to free range with the other chickens. I let her out a time or two and she comes back in at night to roost with the peachicks, but the peachicks cry for her most of the day while she is out. Are the 10 week old peachicks old enough now to stay by themselves? I have read that the peahen usually stays with the chicks from 6 months to a year, but of course a chicken hen is ready for freedom at about 8 weeks or sooner. Any advice? Should I let the mama hen go back to being a chicken??? Or keep her with the peachicks whether she likes it or not???

 

[casportpony]

Where do they all sleep at night?

 

[KsKingBee]

The hen can be easily replaced with a heat lamp esp if there are more than just a couple of chicks. They will cry for a while but will get over it.

 

[old biddy]

Where do they all sleep at night?

The mama chicken and the peachicks are in a secure pen that has another secure coop inside it where they all sleep on roosts. It is up off the ground about 4' and I close them up for the night. I also have two areas inside a secure hen house where my free ranging chickens sleep at night. I am building a larger pen area with a secure "roosting house" inside it for the peachicks and will eventually move them to their new digs so they will have plenty of room.

 

[old biddy]

The hen can be easily replaced with a heat lamp esp if there are more than just a couple of chicks. They will cry for a while but will get over it.

I have a heat lamp available in their coop so that will be a quick fix. They are about 10 weeks old now...how long would they need the heat lamp before making it on their own?

 

[KsKingBee]

I have a heat lamp available in their coop so that will be a quick fix. They are about 10 weeks old now...how long would they need the heat lamp before making it on their own?

More than likely they only need it at night, or would like to have it at night.... I put mine on a timer so it is only on at night when they actually need it. Then again having a light on will keep them from piling up in the corner and smothering the ones on the bottom, so a night light is a good idea too. If they are roosting consider putting the light above the roost. Here in Ks, it has been mid 90's and 70's at night so the need for heat during the day is not necessary.

 

[KsKingBee]

At ten weeks of age they won't need it much longer.

 

[old biddy]

More than likely they only need it at night, or would like to have it at night.... I put mine on a timer so it is only on at night when they actually need it. Then again having a light on will keep them from piling up in the corner and smothering the ones on the bottom, so a night light is a good idea too. If they are roosting consider putting the light above the roost. Here in Ks, it has been mid 90's and 70's at night so the need for heat during the day is not necessary.

Yes, here in Florida our temps have been in 90's during day and 70's at night as well. Hot and humid. How old should they be before removing the heat lamp?

 

[KsKingBee]

Yes, here in Florida our temps have been in 90's during day and 70's at night as well. Hot and humid. How old should they be before removing the heat lamp?

You might not need it at this time but by 16 weeks of age I doubt they would need it anymore. Esp in Fl.