Need some advice on Mother hen and her new chicks

[luckynat]

My hen just hatch 2 beautiful chicks last night she hatched them in a grass catcher inside her pen but now she has decided to sleep outside the pen in the run with the 2 chicks should i move her or just leave her where she is. I thought she might have either been sick of sitting in the catcher for so long and wanted a different scenery or it was just a little too warm in there it's pretty warm here today 34 degrees.

 

[centrarchid]

Setup looks good so long as ground stays dry. My preference is hen with chicks be placed on fresh ground near current location. Chicks and hen will have limited interaction with others limiting reintegration strife. Small flock will have less stress on chicks but might prove hard on immune systems when chicks consume things contaminated with feces.

 

[luckynat]

Her and her chicks are in that pen alone (maternity ward I call it) I will keep her there until the chicks are a bit older. I cleaned the grass catcher where her chicks were born this morning in the metal shed there. If it rains and she doesn't move back in there i will have go and move her and the chicks so they don't get wet.

 

[centrarchid]

Do you have a lot of wind in your area?

 

[luckynat]

Do you have a lot of wind in your area?

no we don't it''s very warm here at the moment. We live in Australia, Gladstone, Queensland.

 

[centrarchid]

Strong wind may roll your pen. Tarps and fine screens catch wind very well.

 

[luckynat]

Strong wind may roll your pen. Tarps and fine screens catch wind very well.

I had some chicks in there before had no problems at all it is very sheltered where they are and there is a fence directly behind it. I am just worried about mum and chicks as they are not in there sleeping quarters.

 

[centrarchid]

Give me a bit and I will post how i protect broodies from predators.

 

[centrarchid]

Setups partially staged. Upper like I use in fields where I have multiple units at any given time. Two lower pictures are used for young broods as we go into winter. Black milk crates are key as hens use them at night. A single broody with brood is contained in each unit


Note in this setup crate is in center and on its side. Hen roost inside with chicks for first three to four weeks. When hen wants to take brood up I turn crate upside down and they roost on that.

Two crates in larger indoor setup below. I want hen to use the one in middle. Crate at side put in there for your benefit and demonstration as how not to do it. Keep crate / hen away from sides. Predator will invest more effort to get at bird within or almost within reach. Your wire setup will not stop a determined predator, not would mine. Keep the motivation low by keeping hen and chicks well out of reach otherwise the predators will chew and dig to get to your birds.

I have tricks not shown including the following; live traps, hotwire and dogs. My birds are much more out in the open where predator density and diversity is high.

 

[tirrell]

My hen has been by her chicks that she hatched up until now they just turned 13 weeks and she seems to be ignoring them, she is also pecking the other hens eggs and hanging out with them while the babies stay up in the coop. Has anyone experienced this?