Mom died by Hawk, left me nine orphan babies

[Tatootles]

A bin is good, if you have one big enough. Washable. When they outgrow the box you can cover your floor and put a wall around. I used plastic bins, boxes, etc. Anything they can't hop over or knock down. If your floor is carpeted, this may cause a problem if they can't stand on it. My floors are laminate, so very washable, but I still covered it. You can also use a floor lamp outside of the box/floor area, which I think is safer. After all, they are in the house, not a pole shed. Some people use a brooder heater which is on the floor and considered much safer.

My floor is also laminate and very washable so I don’t mind as much. I put one of my hens in there to see if. She would take to being a mother to them even though she just had a baby two months ago. So far so good she hasn’t pecked them and if she has, it was very lightly. I trust mama Ginger even though she’s not quite sure what’s happening

 

[Tatootles]

No, I put my broody hen in with them and she pecked them so I removed her and put my other hen Flora ( faunas sister) which looks exactly like her and all the little birds started running to her thinking that was their mom, but it wasn’t, she also picked them up and started pecking and flinging them so I removed her as well

I put one of my other hens ginger in here to see if she would take to the little guys. Even though she just had a little peep two months ago, I feel like she could be a great mother/option for them! I’m still keeping an eye on them just in case she doesn’t take them in though

 

[Tatootles]

I tried a few broody birds with them, but it was a no go. I’m going to try my other hen, mama ginger tomorrow and see if she’ll take care of them. I honestly don’t think so because she already has a 2 month old baby but she’s a great mother and very gentle so it’s worth a shot.

So I tried mama Ginger with the little peeps, even though she just had a baby two months ago, I feel she could be a great mother/fit for the little orphans. So far she has not pecked them, and if she has, it was very lightly. I’m wondering if I should put her other little bird in here/her original baby in here too since she is still mothering it/sitting on the little chick? So far so good though, i’m still monitoring them just to be sure she doesn’t hurt them though

 

[Tatootles]

A bin is good, if you have one big enough. Washable. When they outgrow the box you can cover your floor and put a wall around. I used plastic bins, boxes, etc. Anything they can't hop over or knock down. If your floor is carpeted, this may cause a problem if they can't stand on it. My floors are laminate, so very washable, but I still covered it. You can also use a floor lamp outside of the box/floor area, which I think is safer. After all, they are in the house, not a pole shed. Some people use a brooder heater which is on the floor and considered much safer.

I should also mention the birds, keep picking at her face, comb, waddles, and she just lets them. It’s so cute

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

So far she has not pecked them, and if she has, it was very lightly.

You should see a dam scratching around while her chicks are following her and trying to get underneath her. The chicks get in the way, but the dam doesn't stop kicking at the ground and therefore her chicks get kicked and go rolling around. Chicks are tough under certain circumstances.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Wonderful news! Aww sweet Ginger, I'm tearing up over here

 

[KGandE]

So I had this Mama hen. Her name was Fauna who just hatched nine little chicks three days ago, unfortunately for her, she was attacked by a hawk early this morning. When I went outside, she was already gone and the babies were scattered underneath my porch and some in bushes, but thankfully, I found all of her chicks. They were scared, but unharmed, they were miracle birds already when she managed to hatch all of them in below freezing weather but now they managed to survive a hawk attack too. So I guess my question is how do I take care of nine little chicks? They keep peeping for their mom. I was wondering if I could make another bird a Mama somehow? I have one bird that’s already broody and sitting on the nest, but when I tried to introduce her to the chicks she pecked at them so I pulled her away. I also have another mama bird that just hatched a baby two months ago but I’m wondering if that’s too long to try and introduce her to new chicks now when she’s almost finished raising her other baby? She’s a great mom but I don’t know if she’ll take care of birds that aren’t hers? if anybody has some opinions/suggestions please let me know. Thank you!

Oh, this is so sad and I'm sorry for your loss. We also had a hen named Fauna who we lost to a hawk - she was a delightful little hen and we miss her!

I do think trying the broody hen with the babies might work. I would test it out in the morning or some time during the day when you have time to watch them for a while. I tend to think it will be clear pretty early on if it's working or not. Hopefully it will, but if not, you can put them in a pack and play with a heat lamp, food and water and raise them as if you had purchased them as chicks. I've raised many that way and they almost always do okay. When they are pullets you can slowly integrate them into the flock.

Good luck and, again, sorry for your loss.

 

[msmidwick]

I always raise my babies in my garage with plywood sides for a pen and a heat lamp. The floor is covered in pine shavings and I have a chick waterer and a baby chick feeder. You need chick starter feed-medicated. They thrive a couple months there and then I introduce them to the hens gradually. They will have a pen next to the older chicken pen outside and will eventually go into the main pen and coop. A little more work, but I love caring for them.

 

[laleach3]

I use a kids swimming pool for our chicks and cover it with a wire grid to keep them in and a heat lamp above them.

I love this idea! Wonderful!

 

[MT chic whisper]

So I had this Mama hen. Her name was Fauna who just hatched nine little chicks three days ago, unfortunately for her, she was attacked by a hawk early this morning. When I went outside, she was already gone and the babies were scattered underneath my porch and some in bushes, but thankfully, I found all of her chicks. They were scared, but unharmed, they were miracle birds already when she managed to hatch all of them in below freezing weather but now they managed to survive a hawk attack too. So I guess my question is how do I take care of nine little chicks? They keep peeping for their mom. I was wondering if I could make another bird a Mama somehow? I have one bird that’s already broody and sitting on the nest, but when I tried to introduce her to the chicks she pecked at them so I pulled her away. I also have another mama bird that just hatched a baby two months ago but I’m wondering if that’s too long to try and introduce her to new chicks now when she’s almost finished raising her other baby? She’s a great mom but I don’t know if she’ll take care of birds that aren’t hers? if anybody has some opinions/suggestions please let me know. Thank you!