Middle of the night emergency, anyone online?? Chicken hatched

[MoniqueA]

Is anyone online now? Thank you ahead of time. Hen hatched a few chicks, it's 1am and 55 degrees outside. She is sitting on them but one was hatched a ways away, I guess she dragged it under her with the other one. Oh I hope the rest don't hatch tonight. Are they warm enough? She is pecking at me, they were peeping for a while. I think I will let her be? Shes a banty Tomorrow I can find a spot for her, maybe even in the house. I think it is too cold to lay outside

Thanks so much
Monique

 

[Highlander]

If they are under her then they are absolutely fine. Don't panic!

Congrats on the chicks, now just sit back and let mama hen do all the work, she knows what she is doing.

 

[KenLamWV]

Not sure what to do but if you have power and a brooder lamp, could you put one of those in the vicinity to help warm the area. Might help out til someone else posts.

 

[MoniqueA]

Quote:
Thank you, good. I will bring her into the Coop tomorrow with her babies into the nesting box. The cat already tried to get her, she was swalking so we put a roll of chicken wire around her, she seems happy with that. Now i will sleep with the window open in case an animal comes near her.

 

[MoniqueA]

Quote:
Good thinking but we don't have one. I will borrow a small heat lamp from my Moms house to put in the Coop at night, but I don't want to roast the mother out either. Thanks alot

 

[Highlander]

oh wait! I didn't realise she wasn't in a coop, just outside on the ground? I'm still not concerned about the cold, but I am concerned now about predators, she is a sitting duck if you will pardon the expression. Chicken wire will do nothing to stop a predator getting to her. I would move them somewhere safe right away.

 

[MoniqueA]

If I touch her, she will peck hard at me which is fine. But if we touch the babies, will she refuse to sit on them in the Coop? She doesn't normally go to bed in the Coop, someone gave her to us and she has refused to sleep there no matter what we do/ We have trained all the others to go there but she's pretty wild. She will stay there likely if she is placed there? I think she will if we put her in a corner

 

[MoniqueA]

She can sleep in the nesting box in the Coop

 

[Highlander]

do you have a small cage you can put her and the chicks in, inside the coop? Dog crate? Even a covered cat litter box would do for now. Just anything to keep her contained and safe.

 

[MoniqueA]

Quote:
Yes I have that too, a pet carrier she can be in. that is better than putting her in the Coop with the chickens? They are safe there, and they enter a 5x5 fenced area until I let them out. It is fenced here, but it is only 4 ft high.

I could bring her inside the house too inside the pet carrier. It seems too early for her to give birth