Mamas taking chicks out on day 3

[yellowfinns]

My two mama hens have their chicks outside today & it's only day 2-4 (5 hatched Monday, 4 on Tuesday, and 2 yesterday). Do they know what they are doing or not? It's the first time for chicks for all of us! As far as I can tell, the babies look fine.

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

I'm sure that it's okay. I let my chicks out with mama in the flock when their only a few days old.

 

[pkeeler]

The mamas are a portable heat lamp. The only trick is whether they can get back into the coop. Chicks that young have a hard time getting back into my coop up the ladder. The mamas do want out, so I let them out then make sure to be there later to lift them back in. They can use the ladder at about 8 days, and can actually fly into the coop at 3 weeks. Amazing how agile they are. You don't appreciate that when you only see them raised in brooders.

 

[yellowfinns]

One mama seems to be the designated heat source & spends most of her time warming up any cold chicks while the other is doing most of the teaching.

I've watched them all go up the ramp, so they're fine on that count.

I'm a bit concerned about whether they're going in for water often enough, and the babies can fit through the wire around the pens, but mamas can't.

I've never actually seen chicks raised in any manner (hens or brooders). It's all new and so much fun!!!

 

[Backyard Hencam]

One mama seems to be the designated heat source & spends most of her time warming up any cold chicks while the other is doing most of the teaching.

I've only raised chicks in brooders. But all the while the chicks were in it, I kept thinking how sad for the chicks not to have a mama to warm them, teach them what to look for in their foraging, and scold them when they got out of line. I especially did not like the fact that the chicks were never in the dark, they had a red light blaring down on them for six full weeks. It's actually amazing to me that they figured out that they are chickens, even though they had no role model.

Have fun with your little ones. The hen will probably do a better job that we can do with artificial brooders.

 

[yellowfinns]

The mamas just took the babies into the coop when it started to rain! Yay! (And yes, I was really worried about it b/c my hens will stay out in the rain until they are quite wet.)

 

[RAWR]

they'll be fine. :] just keep a close eye on them