Mother raising babies

[amyquilt]

How do mother chickens feed/water their babies until the babies are old enough to get into and out of the nest on their own??

I have a baby Serama and am attempting to let Mama raise it on her own. I've always take the babies and put them in a brooder with a heat lamp. This is new to me.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Mom's lead by example. Babies are pretty mobile from pretty early on... first 2-3 days they don't need anything, because still absorbing yolk. They ahould be able to get over a 2-3 inch edge in the nest... is it higher that that? Food and water right in next to them would work also.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

mmaddie's mom :

Mom's lead by example. Babies are pretty mobile from pretty early on... first 2-3 days they don't need anything, because still absorbing yolk. They ahould be able to get over a 2-3 inch edge in the nest... is it higher that that? Food and water right in next to them would work also.

I agree. Good luck - but I bet you won't need it.​

 

[gritsar]

mmaddie's mom :

Mom's lead by example. Babies are pretty mobile from pretty early on... first 2-3 days they don't need anything, because still absorbing yolk. They ahould be able to get over a 2-3 inch edge in the nest... is it higher that that? Food and water right in next to them would work also.

I agree. Mama knows what she's doing. I promise you she can do alot better job than us humans can. She'll teach her babies "chicken smarts" and that's something we just can't do.​

 

[horsepowerhaven]

I have my first broody right now and I wondered the same thing, as my nesting boxes are over 2 feet off the ground with no ramp that the babies could use. The adults just fly up.
I moved the Mama after the first baby hatched (based on a posting I listed in here somewhere and the wonderful feedback I received) to my smaller coop (someone suggested a dog crate would work nicely too, but I don't have a spare). I used a plastic rectangle 5 gallon bucket and put it on the ground and filled it with wood chips and hay to make a nesting box on the ground.
Once the first baby hatched, Mama, baby, and eggs were moved to the new neting box at night after everyone had gone to roost. Mama has shown the baby where water and food is and they both can easily get in and out of the nesting box.
At some point I may just move the plastic bucket back into my main coop on the ground, or buy some nesting boxes from my local feed store to put on the ground. I'm waiting to see if any other eggs will hatch.
Good Luck!

 

[amyquilt]

Since the nest box is about 4" deep and the bowls are up high in their cage, I put shallow bowls of water and starter feed in the nest box with Mama and baby. They are doing wonderful. I will admit I would much rather Mama raise the babies than me I do adore my Seramas, though!