Mama weaning chicks too soon?

[ShawnaLeigh]

My first time mama had chicks on March 24 and has been a wonderful and attentive mother but starting yesterday she kept getting out of her pen with chicks and staying in general population with the other hens and roosters. I have been catching her and putting back with chicks but tonight I wanted to see what she would do and she got on roost with other hens and totally ignored the chicks no matter how long and loud they chirped. I made sure they had a heat lamp on them and went inside. Are they too young for this to happen?

 

[azygous]

Not according to your hen, it's not too early. She's finished. They're on their own. I had a broody cut her solitary chick loose at age five weeks, and she did fine on her own, without heat. Yours are getting close to that.

What are the night time temps where you live? Day time? At 70F, chicks no longer require heat during the day. At night, above 50F, The chicks can probably get by with snuggling together for warmth. That is, unless you live in the Antarctic.

 

[RiverOtter]

The trouble with relying on broodies is not everyone will win Mother Of The Year award - just like people.

Regardless of what any of us think about it, she's done now and absolutely nothing will entice her to go back to it, I'm sorry to say.

It's all up to you now.

 

[ShawnaLeigh]

Not according to your hen, it's not too early. She's finished. They're on their own. I had a broody cut her solitary chick loose at age five weeks, and she did fine on her own, without heat. Yours are getting close to that.

What are the night time temps where you live? Day time? At 70F, chicks no longer require heat during the day. At night, above 50F, The chicks can probably get by with snuggling together for warmth. That is, unless you live in the Antarctic.

With this being Arkansas the temps are crazy. Some nights it’s 60 degrees and the last couple of nights it’s been 32 degrees. I now have a Cochin that has been sitting on about 9 eggs and the first one was hatched yesterday. Can I put the Cochin and her chicks with the two chicks that are now about 4 1/2 weeks old?

 

[RiverOtter]

No! The Cochin will likely drive the other chicks away, and may kill them. (Picture that mom who doesn't want someone else's bratty little hoodlums near her precious, perfect angel)
And her own chicks might get trampled in the chaos.

I feel your pain, I just moved out of AR a couple of years ago and the weather swings are wild! But in a couple of weeks, the chicks will be ol enough to "weather" it.