mama hen & chicks in coop question

[greytmommy]

so I have a mama hen and chicks in the coop. I lost a chick today. It wasoutside and got cold and died. Is this normal that mama might lose a chick? I want to be hands off, but I also don't want to lose a bunch of chicks. Mama is a cuckoo maran, and she had 7 chicks. Shouldn't the chicks learn how to go up & down the ramp and stay with mama? Any other hints?

 

[lswatson111304]

I'm sorry you lost one. Mine don't have a ramp. How old are the chicks? I actually didn't put mine back in the coop until about a week old. At that time, I let them incorporate slowly, then after a day or two of a few hours out in the coop, I left them out there. Mama just calls to them and they come running. She is still raising them 5 weeks later. LOL

 

[greytmommy]

they are about a week old...and have been out there since day one.

I have a lip at the bottom of the little door to discourage the chicks from getting out of the coop. I could make that lip bigger, but I don't want to make it hard for the big chickens to go outside.