Mom left chicks for the roost

[TexasSam]

Momma left the chicks and went to the roost. The chicks hatched on the 17th of December is this a problem?

 

[Sassysouth]

Oh no Sam. Are they warm enough?

 

[lazy gardener]

It's a bit young. What are your temps? If the littles have a flock to hang with (the adult flock) if they have secure, predator proof housing at night, and if they can get up to the roost bar if they want to, and if there is plenty of room, they should be fine. They will be a bit vulnerable to predators during the day if they are not in a secure run, so a lot depends on your spacing, your flock dynamics, your predator load, and your climate.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Well, you're in Texas, so they probably won't freeze. However, I would not trust her to raise the chicks safely after neglecting them at three weeks. That's like a mother leaving her seven-year-olds alone while she goes on a shopping trip with her boyfriend and spends the night at a motel with her phone turned off.

If you have any dangers at all, opportunistic cats, places they can get lost, etc, I would put them in a box and provide feed and water. Hens like that tend to lose chicks.

 

[TexasSam]

Oh no Sam. Are they warm enough?

I brought them in the house

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

That's like a mother leaving her seven-year-olds alone while she goes on a shopping trip with her boyfriend and spends the night at a motel with her phone turned off.

I know this a worrisome sitauation...but that's just funny stuff right there!

 

[Sassysouth]

I know this a worrisome sitauation...but that's just funny stuff right there!

I thought the same thing!!!

 

[TexasSam]

It's a bit young. What are your temps? If the littles have a flock to hang with (the adult flock) if they have secure, predator proof housing at night, and if they can get up to the roost bar if they want to, and if there is plenty of room, they should be fine. They will be a bit vulnerable to predators during the day if they are not in a secure run, so a lot depends on your spacing, your flock dynamics, your predator load, and your climate.

I brought them in they are to small to reach the run. They are secure during the day. I'm worried that mom won't come to them in the morning. The flock is very tolerant to new birds.

 

[microchick]

Good plan. That is what I would do. I had a hen do that at barely 4 weeks post hatching. Babes were feathered out but mom started spending less and less time with them when they were 3 weeks. Poor little ones were lost and cried for her. I wound up putting 4 chicks I was brooding inside that were almost 4 weeks old with them and they all did fine.

 

[lazy gardener]

Do what seems best. You know your flock, and you know what your set up is like.