Moms leaving chicks

[Pigglebottoms]

Looking for advice. This is our first time letting our hens hatch eggs but we can't find answers to this situation. We have 2 new moms (1 bantam Cochin & 1 Silkie). The silkie hatched both of their eggs in the preferred nest, but both moms are raising them since hatching.

The chicks are just 11 days old. The problem we've noticed the past few days is that both mom's will take the babies out to forage then go back into the coop with whoever will follow them up the ramp fast enough. A group of 3-7 are usually left outside because they didn't see the moms leave. Neither calls to the babies while the chicks cry. We let them cry for a while to see if either mom will acknowledge them... They don't. We lost a chick this morning in the coop (not sure of reason) and in today's storm the adults and 9 of the 15 remaining babies went inside. I went to gather the 6 that were left outside and a couple were cold and wet. I put them back in the coop and they ran to get under the girls.

My question is, should we pull some or all of the chicks and brood them? Or is this normal behavior and they'll learn? I just worry in the rain and at dusk. We want to do what's right for the littles and avoid more losses.

 

[50-45-1]

Baby chicks sometimes have dificulty navigating and figuring out a ramp.
It looks like that is your issue.
I would not take the babies from the moms. Just go out at roosting time and make sure they all figure out how to get in or help them in.
it should only be a week or two before they have it all figured out and you will not have to monitor it so much.
Congrats on hour new chicks!

 

[centrarchid]

You might be able to remove ramp and replace it with a steeper stretch of chicken wire the chicks can clamber more directly up to access the coop door.

 

[HaliefromSC]

We had a similar issue with 2 moms with chicks at the same time. Eventually one mom took over both baby chick groups which was kinda sad for "the left out" mom. We had again two moms and 2 sets of babies a few weeks ago. We took moms and chicks away from the main flock and separated the moms to be with "their" chicks... so far so good!

 

[Pigglebottoms]

You might be able to remove ramp and replace it with a steeper stretch of chicken wire the chicks can clamber more directly up to access the coop door.

We actually changed to an easier ramp before they hatched and everyone seems to be handling the current ramp pretty well. It just seems like if the moms leave unexpectedly, some babies panic when they see they're gone and hide under the coop instead of going in. We're guessing because they hear the other chicks above them. These pictures are from their first day out. All 16 were running up and down with no problem following the girls and seemed to be playing on the ramp lol

Baby chicks sometimes have dificulty navigating and figuring out a ramp.
It looks like that is your issue.
I would not take the babies from the moms. Just go out at roosting time and make sure they all figure out how to get in or help them in.
it should only be a week or two before they have it all figured out and you will not have to monitor it so much.
Congrats on hour new chicks!

Thank you! They all seem to know the ramp, but maybe in a panic they forget. Is it normal for the moms to ignore and not call them when they cry?

 

[Pigglebottoms]

We had a similar issue with 2 moms with chicks at the same time. Eventually one mom took over both baby chick groups which was kinda sad for "the left out" mom. We had again two moms and 2 sets of babies a few weeks ago. We took moms and chicks away from the main flock and separated the moms to be with "their" chicks... so far so good!

Thank You! We've considered separating them, so we'll definitely keep that in mind. We really wanted the hens to raise them. I'm happy to read these responses.

 

[centrarchid]

Problem I have is chicks try to go directly to sounds produced by hen(s). If that conflicts with a more appropriate indirect route, then the chicks get confused and do not take the indirect route. When I have multiple broodys leading broods to roost, I make so they have a straight shot that funnels the little ones in. Once the get a little age on them they start thinking about indirect routes.

What I really do not like is chicks learning while they are small and weather is less than ideal (wet, cold and especially wet and cold at same time). When chicks have trouble getting into protecting location with mom, they are prone to getting hypothermia and dying for reasons not always apparent to a single cause.

 

[Pigglebottoms]

Problem I have is chicks try to go directly to sounds produced by hen(s). If that conflicts with a more appropriate indirect route, then the chicks get confused and do not take the indirect route. When I have multiple broodys leading broods to roost, I make so they have a straight shot that funnels the little ones in. Once the get a little age on them they start thinking about indirect routes.

What I really do not like is chicks learning while they are small and weather is less than ideal (wet, cold and especially wet and cold at same time). When chicks have trouble getting into protecting location with mom, they are prone to getting hypothermia and dying for reasons not always apparent to a single cause.

That's what we we're thinking might add to the issue. They're in a small run and the others get time in the large run. I wonder if we should block under the coop and ramp for now. I was worried about them when we got home today in the rain.

 

[HaliefromSC]

Thank You! We've considered separating them, so we'll definitely keep that in mind. We really wanted the hens to raise them. I'm happy to read these responses.

We didn't separate chicks from moms. We separated the moms with their own chicks so that moms weren't together. This made a big difference our second go round wiht a second set of moms and chicks. The first set were taking chicks out together and would leave chicks stranded. "You get lil Sally",.... "No, you get her". Hahahaha

 

[Pigglebottoms]

We didn't separate chicks from moms. We separated the moms with their own chicks so that moms weren't together. This made a big difference our second go round wiht a second set of moms and chicks. The first set were taking chicks out together and would leave chicks stranded. "You get lil Sally",.... "No, you get her". Hahahaha

Yes! Ours seemed to be doing that too lol We were considering separating moms and chicks together. I just wasn't clear in my wording, sorry lol. The Cochin mom quit sitting at night but we didn't notice at first so we lost 3 babies in total. We pulled 8 babies (smallest/weakest, lost one of these) and put them in the brooder with electrolytes & heat. The 6 we left with her and the remaining 8 inside all seem to be doing great now and her outside babies aren't getting abandoned now either ❤