Mama with chicks and new chicks coming

[robyn8]

I need some advice. I have 3 hens one of which has 3 chicks she hatched a week ago. Coop is 8x8 run 8X16, no free ranging. Mama and babies are currently in a dog cage in the coop. I was planning to use that for the 4 chicks I arrived that will come next week. But then mama went broody. I should have cancelled my chick order but I wasn't sure if mama would go the whole time or if the eggs would hatch.

Now I'm not sure what to do. Try to integrate mama and babies this weekend? Keep mama and babies in cage till she rejected them and figure out somewhere else to broody the newest chicks?

Any advice is welcome! It's too late to cancel chicks at this point.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I need some advice. I have 3 hens one of which has 3 chicks she hatched a week ago. Coop is 8x8 run 8X16, no free ranging. Mama and babies are currently in a dog cage in the coop. I was planning to use that for the 4 chicks I arrived that will come next week. But then mama went broody. I should have cancelled my chick order but I wasn't sure if mama would go the whole time or if the eggs would hatch.

Now I'm not sure what to do. Try to integrate mama and babies this weekend? Keep mama and babies in cage till she rejected them and figure out somewhere else to broody the newest chicks?

Any advice is welcome! It's too late to cancel chicks at this point.

I had that problem at one time, so I added a couple pens, then ran into more problems so I added a couple more pens, Well in less than a year I had 67 pens-----so I can fix your problem----add more pens!

 

[robyn8]

Haha yeah no. In sure the builder in the family will say no to that. We did just come up with an alternate brooder for the newest ones so that takes some pressure off. I just don't know when to integrate mama and babies. She wants out but hasn't abandoned the babies. My husband is going to make some little panic rooms for when we do try to integrate them.

 

[chickens really]

Why not let the Momma Hen and the Chicks out with the flock?....I do all the time...Momma will protect her Chicks......

Cheers!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Why not let the Momma Hen and the Chicks out with the flock?....I do all the time...Momma will protect her Chicks..

....

Cheers!

You got friendly chickens. I have not tried to do that in the last few years, but when I did---I had major problems, dead chicks, momma hen pecked bad and bleeding, even had one momma hen's head pecked till the scull was showing---a lot of her skull(she lived but I was glad I showed up when I did). I have been in the pen and see a hen peck a 2/3 week old chick one time and the chick fell over and started kicking and died----busted skull--other chicks found dead with busted skulls. So for Me-----never again will I try that----I do not want them together anyway. I always sale my 2+ year old layers anyway so I do not want any younger pullets mixed with them.

 

[chickens really]

Why not let the Momma Hen and the Chicks out with the flock?....I do all the time...Momma will protect her Chicks.. ....


Cheers!

You got friendly chickens. I have not tried to do that in the last few years, but when I did---I had major problems, dead chicks, momma hen pecked bad and bleeding, even had one momma hen's head pecked till the scull was showing---a lot of her skull(she lived but I was glad I showed up when I did). I have been in the pen and see a hen peck a 2/3 week old chick one time and the chick fell over and started kicking and died----busted skull--other chicks found dead with busted skulls. So for Me-----never again will I try that----I do not want them together anyway. I always sale my 2+ year old layers anyway so I do not want any younger pullets mixed with them.

Wow....What kind of Chickens do you have?.....What do you feed?.....No....I have zero issues with my Birds......My Rooster tidbits for all my Chicks and looks after them...The other Hens help The Momma care for Chicks...My Speckled Sussex that has never been Broody lets Chicks hide under her........I must have a healthy flock!..

 

[PD-Riverman]

Wow....What kind of Chickens do you have?.....What do you feed?.....No....I have zero issues with my Birds..

....My Rooster tidbits for all my Chicks and looks after them...The other Hens help The Momma care for Chicks...My Speckled Sussex that has never been Broody lets Chicks hide under her...

.....I must have a healthy flock!..

Mainly Rhode Island red---mean suckers---LOL-------but Good Layers. I never had a problem with the rooster---it was the hens.

 

[chickens really]

Wow....What kind of Chickens do you have?.....What do you feed?.....No....I have zero issues with my Birds.. ....My Rooster tidbits for all my Chicks and looks after them...The other Hens help The Momma care for Chicks...My Speckled Sussex that has never been Broody lets Chicks hide under her... .....I must have a healthy flock!..

Mainly Rhode Island red---mean suckers---LOL-------but Good Layers. I never had a problem with the rooster---it was the hens.

LMAO.......Yes....I do not like those Birds....I have Orpingtons, Speckled Sussex, Crazy Alice my Bantam and my Brahma Rooster........

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

If this broody has brooded these chicks within the flock, even in a cage in the coop or run, then there is no reason why the other two hens should give her or the chicks, a hard time when you let them out. It is best to have safe places that the chicks can hide out, as you are aware, and I put their food and water in there (usually a cage chocked up on bricks that the chicks can run under, but the hens can't). I would start integrating them on a day when you have plenty of time to supervise and can observe and intervene if needed. Have plenty of treats to hand that you can scatter (meal worms etc ) to distract them if the older hens are starting to show too much interest, but if they have not shown any aggression towards them whilst they have been in the cage, then it is extremely unlikely that they will do so once they are let out. The poor broody must be desperate for a dust bath and to show the chicks how to bath. Of course, you will most likely have a cockerel or two amongst those hatched chicks that may need to be weeded out at the adolescent stage, usually 15+ weeks, but otherwise I can't see there being any significant problems and the coop and run should be large enough to support 8-10 chickens quite happily.

Good luck with them

Regards

Barbara

 

[PD-Riverman]

LMAO...

....Yes....I do not like those Birds....I have Orpingtons, Speckled Sussex, Crazy Alice my Bantam and my Brahma Rooster...

.....

Well most of the breeds you mentioned are "sweeter" LOL, but I raise what sells in my area. I have sold a few hundred of most of those you mentioned all together in a year but sell a few 1000 RIR's in a year---so I will keep raising them Mean Suckers/good layers!!!