Moving Momma and Baby

[burt4750]

I have a broody silkie hen that wanted to be a momma. I incubated some silkie eggs and only one hatched. So, I brought the hen in the house and introduced the baby to her. She has successfully adopted the baby and both are doing fine. They are in a large tote in my sunroom. I want to take the hen and baby back to the coop. So, here is my problem. I have two roosters that share the raised coop and run with the hen. Momma is very timid and I am pretty sure at least one of the roosters will be aggressive towards the pair. (I even caught him on top of the hen while she was sitting on the nest in the coop before I brought her in.) The raised coop is a modified child's playhouse so it is not very large. The chick will be one week old tomorrow. I am new at this so I don't know when to put momma and baby outside and what to do about the roosters. I don't think the hen would be aggressive enough to fight the rooster(s) off. They are in full "breeding hormone" mode right now. Help!!

 

[nchls school]

Consider keeping Mom and chick in a pen where the rest of the flock can see them. In a week the chick will be old enough to get out of the rooster's way.

 

[burt4750]

Here are pictures of my setup. I know the hen and chick need to be inside at night don't they? Floor space...probably 4 x 4. Height of coop floor from outside run 1.5 - 2'.

How could I protect them from the roosters. (Their roost is above the roost shown in coop1.jpg picture)

 

[nchls school]

A separate pen would be best, but you could let the hen and chick free range around the coop during the day (if safe) and sleep in the plastic tote at night.

 

[burt4750]

I think the roosters solved the problem for me. I have two coops/runs. One for my regular chickens and the other for my silkies. I have been letting the roosters run with the other chickens and tonight when they went in the coop to go to bed, the roosters went with them. Now, if I don't have blood and gore in the coop tomorrow morning from my bantam rooster and the two silkies, Looks like things will work out.

But, I do have one other question. Since the coop is raised, I'm afraid the chick will fall off the porch. I don't have a ramp. The silkies never used one. So, should I just put a tote or something in the run with some straw so the momma hen can go in it with her baby to be out of the weather during the day. Then put them back in the coop at night?