Agrees set up the MHP for them as Bruce suggests.Good morning! I posted a couple of weeks ago about our broody hatch, and how I wasn't worried about the babies outside with mama thanks to using this method to raise my first chicks. Well...things have been going really well, until now (maybe). The babies are 2 1/2 weeks old, they have LOTS of feathers, mom runs them around with all the big girls, and everyone is happy. But yesterday, she started to act like she was bothered by them. Today, she really doesn't seem to be concerned about the fact that it is 30°, lots of wind, and they are shivering. She has been leaving them behind, and they are CHEEPING really loudly. I spent a little time with them huddled on my lap, in my jacket. It seems very unsafe, especially for their little feet. I'm wondering if I should try to set up a heating pad out there for them in case she is done with them? She has been SO great, but I'm worried that if she abandons them, they'll dieThoughts?
Bummer you got a negligent broody......but you got it covered(with a warm heating pad).
Will be interesting to hear how broody behaves from here on out.
My chicks are just 12 weeks old and are mostly roosting in the nest boxes now, so I will soon take the heating pad out. It's down to the '1' setting anyway. My question is, how soon do people take out the 'escape hatch' for the chicks to get away from older birds? Mine go outside and are around the older birds although they don't interact. I did have one that I think was killed by one of the older ones (found it dead, one puncture wound at the base of the neck, nothing else), but no problems since. If they are roosting up off the floor, are they ok without their private area?
