Mom and her 4 chicks

[kee32002]

I have Mom and her chicks in Hutch inside my Coop. I have water and feed in there for them. How long can I keep them there. My other Hens tried to kill the babies and I don't want Mom to get "cabin fever". The babies are 4days old. Thanks for any input!

 

[LarryPQ]

If you can segregate momma from the rest of the flock, you may be better off.

I have kept an OEGB with 10 LF babies in a double-wide hutch for 8 weeks, due to extinuating circumstances. They weren't happy, but they dealt with it. They were reeaaaaaaaaally happy when the quarantine coop cleared out.

 

[nuttyredhead]

From what I know (from here and reading) Momma will stay with babies awhile. Mine stayed with hers until they were pretty feathered out. Even then she wanted back in with them at night. I had mine in a wire dog crate inside the coop.

Good Luck!

 

[jengro65]

I'm new to this but here's what i did.......I also had mine in a hutch next to my coop (Mama plus 7 babies). After 2 weeks I opened the hutch into a 10x10 kennel and let mom and babies peck around for a day then the next day I let my other chickens in the kennel one at a time with me sitting there. Everything went ok and they pretty much ignored the babies until my top hen went after mama. It was vicious and the babies were terrified. Before I could step in my rooster came out of nowhere like a squaaaaaking demon from hell and the fight ended as fast as it started. After that I left the kennel door open so that mama and the babies can scratch around the fenced pasture with the rest of the flock. They do get an occasional peck when they get in the way of one of the other birds but nothing terrible so far. My babies are now 3 1/2 weeks old. I shut and covered the hutch in an effort to get mama to take the babes to the big coop at night. The first night she was confused and upset so I had to move her and them myself. The next night she took them in the coop herself and now they climb in a nest box in the coop every night with no problems.

 

[drumstick diva]

That roo is a keeper for sure