MJ's little flock

[BDutch]

Oops, spoke too soon. There were some pecks thrown at bedtime. Princess was also looking to roost somewhere high and it was still light enough for her to see, so I put her back in the quarantine coop and I'll move her when it's dark.

They need to work it out by themselves anyway. Sounds like postponing who is top of the pecking order and gets the best place to sleep.

You might connect the 2 coops so they can choose where they like to sleep.

 

[BDutch]

Update on Tassels and her chicklets.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28760489

Congrats Royalchick an Tassels. So far so good. Hopefully the chicks accept Tassels as their mother. They probably learn fast enough she is a safe haven for the rest of the flock.

 

[Shadrach]

I am so stoked! Look at this!

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That coop looks very much like the old coop at the field.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/flat-pack-coop-takedown-and-appraisal.78406/

 

[Shadrach]

This made me think of the time I've spent with my hand under a broody wiggling my fingers.
Not really relevant given the age of the chicks you're dealing with but I've found it's important to get introduced and hatched chicks at the back of the hen. Lots of hens I've seen will peck at a chick that's in front of their beak. The more sensible chicks make a B line for the hens rear end, but I've had a few get stuck in front of mum, often because they can't clamber over the straw. The mothers just kept pecking them until the chick either got out of range, or got far enough behind that the hen couldn't reach them. Once underneath almost instant calm.

It seems the finger wiggling is much like the sensation the hen gets when the chicks are moving around underneath her. They move around a surprising amount and one could easily think there was no activity from casual observation.

I was very curious about a hen called Mini Minx when she sat and hatched.
She was very cautious about even showing me she had chicks. I used to sit and watch after replenish the feed bowl at a distance at first. Once I was out of reach, Mini Minx would call the chicks out to eat. If I moved back in close, she would send then back under her.
You took your life in your hands if you tried to handle any of her chicks. She was still like that on her final fourth hatch.

 

[RoyalChick]

This made me think of the time I've spent with my hand under a broody wiggling my fingers.
Not really relevant given the age of the chicks you're dealing with but I've found it's important to get introduced and hatched chicks at the back of the hen. Lots of hens I've seen will peck at a chick that's in front of their beak. The more sensible chicks make a B line for the hens rear end, but I've had a few get stuck in front of mum, often because they can't clamber over the straw. The mothers just kept pecking them until the chick either got out of range, or got far enough behind that the hen couldn't reach them. Once underneath almost instant calm.

It seems the finger wiggling is much like the sensation the hen gets when the chicks are moving around underneath her. They move around a surprising amount and one could easily think there was no activity from casual observation.

I was very curious about a hen called Mini Minx when she sat and hatched.
She was very cautious about even showing me she had chicks. I used to sit and watch after replenish the feed bowl at a distance at first. Once I was out of reach, Mini Minx would call the chicks out to eat. If I moved back in close, she would send then back under her.
You took your life in your hands if you tried to handle any of her chicks. She was still like that on her final fourth hatch.

I wish I had thought of the finger wiggling thing. I did introduce the chicks at the rear end. But because they are already 6 days old they didn’t passively stay put, and Chippy ended up at the front end which is why I rescued her.
I think the 6 days makes a big difference in their activity level which definitely upset Tassels. She kept wanting them underneath her, and they kept wanting out.
Right now everyone seems happy with the chicks sitting on top of her.
Whatever works.
I will see what happens tonight and if they go under her to get warm.