Mom left chicks for the roost

[starrmar006]

my chicks are close to 10 months and some are laying but one isn't her mother that hatched her was a first time mom turkey and hatched 2 while a chicken hatched 4 all but one are on there own.. its kinda cute they do everything together, i wont bother them and let nature take its course

 

[drumstick diva]

I've read on BYC of some hens that hatch chicks and that's it. They aren't cut out to be mamas. Good thing chicks don't need to be nursed.

 

[TexasSam]

I've read on BYC of some hens that hatch chicks and that's it. They aren't cut out to be mamas. Good thing chicks don't need to be nursed.

They are back together and doing well

 

[lazy gardener]

I am a little more protective of these because they are my first batch of Ameraucanas. Also there has been more than normal hawk activity lately with all the migration. I went and got her and put them all in the garage. All is well now they are tucked under her wing

Good call. Hawks are a deal breaker where ETA Correction: CHICKS! are concerned IMO.

 

[rebrascora]

I had them in a separate run but mom got through but the chicks couldn't reach. She is on the roost with the flock

I wonder if the broody was trying to encourage them to learn to roost rather than actually abandoning them. It sounds like you had them in some sort of cage and the broody got out and went up to roost but the chicks couldn't get out..... Maybe your system was the problem rather than the broody. I would be inclined to put the chicks on the roost with the broody and see what happens. They need to learn to roost anyway and whilst they are a little young, there is no reason why they shouldn't manage, providing there is space on the roost.

 

[TexasSam]

I wonder if the broody was trying to encourage them to learn to roost rather than actually abandoning them. It sounds like you had them in some sort of cage and the broody got out and went up to roost but the chicks couldn't get out..... Maybe your system was the problem rather than the broody. I would be inclined to put the chicks on the roost with the broody and see what happens. They need to learn to roost anyway and whilst they are a little young, there is no reason why they shouldn't manage, providing there is space on the roost.

Unfortunately they are still to small to reach the roost. I put them back together in the garage

 

[rebrascora]

Unfortunately they are still to small to reach the roost

Can you make a ladder for them. At nearly 4 weeks old they should be able to fly a little. Maybe make a small roost for them in the garage so she can teach them in a safe place. It only needs to be a few inches off the ground initially. It is surprising how quickly they learn. Once they have the hang of roosting in the garage on a little roost, try them again in the main coop and perhaps help them up onto the roost with her the first couple of times. She obviously wants to roost and it is important for them to learn.

 

[TexasSam]

Can you make a ladder for them. At nearly 4 weeks old they should be able to fly a little. Maybe make a small roost for them in the garage so she can teach them in a safe place. It only needs to be a few inches off the ground initially. It is surprising how quickly they learn. Once they have the hang of roosting in the garage on a little roost, try them again in the main coop and perhaps help them up onto the roost with her the first couple of times. She obviously wants to roost and it is important for them to learn.

Good idea

 

[chickengeorgeto]

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

It's a bit young...

It could be a problem but I need to ask if your sitting hen set for an extended period before she received fertile eggs. Hens lives are mostly controlled by their hormones and no part of a hens' life is controlled by emotion, logic, and especially not by your or my "druthers" When a hen takes to her nest and begins sitting her biologic hormonal clock starts ticking. When the hormonal time runs out a hen will quit her clutch and return to the flock. Hens are not feathered machines that will do Humans' bidding past the time her hormones tells her that her duty (to her eggs or clutch) is completed.

I have had chicks that were unable to follow their mother to roost. In cases like this a stick, limb, board, or chicken ladder leaning against the roost pole or tree for a day or two after the brooding hen quits the ground may enable the chicks to catch up to the mother hen. A hen then will usually hover her babies for a week or two while the whole shebangs roosts. I have even had chicks that roosted on top of the hen instead of under her, especially if space was a factor.

 

[rebrascora]

The fact that your broody has accepted the chicks when you put her in the garage with them suggests to me that she is not done brooding them yet. In my experience, once a broody is ready to cast them off she doesn't just abandon them, but will not tolerate them near her, so you putting her back with them and her not chasing them off indicates to me that she is still in broody mode. You might need to keep an eye on her though because she might get frustrated at being contained with them and take it out on them, if her broody clock does run out of time and she genuinely wants to cast them off and they can't get out of her way because they are in a cage.