New Baby Arrives...what now?

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Jimsgirl

Jimsgirl

Hatching
Aug 14, 2018
4
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My Bantam hen and rooster just hatched their first egg. The rooster seems to be nonplussed by the whole thing and is cutting mama and baby a wide path. Do I need to remove the rooster? She still has four eggs to hatch and seems to be a very attentive mother. It is very hot, baby is with mom on the nest tonight. Dad is up on his roost. Mom has introduced baby to water and feed today, baby is a day old. My main concern is whether or not it is safe to leave the rooster in with them.
 
Jimsgirl said:
My Bantam hen and rooster just hatched their first egg. The rooster seems to be nonplussed by the whole thing and is cutting mama and baby a wide path. Do I need to remove the rooster? She still has four eggs to hatch and seems to be a very attentive mother. It is very hot, baby is with mom on the nest tonight. Dad is up on his roost. Mom has introduced baby to water and feed today, baby is a day old. My main concern is whether or not it is safe to leave the rooster in with them.
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Remove him! They’re animals, we can’t just assume that he ‘wont’ do anything to them.

I have had roosters peck and chase young chicks before. I wouldn’t take that risk if I were you
 
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This is what I was hoping folks with some experience would say. We've had chickens for years, usually getting chicks when they are a day or two old and this is our first time hatching them...everyone seems quite happy, quite subdued even, so I am going to leave them be. Unfortunately, I will not be home tomorrow to separate them if the need were to arise. I will keep my fingers crossed and trust that mamma hen will take care of baby! She is an excellent mother so far and I have no doubt she would kick butt if she had to! Thank you for the welcome, I am excited to be a part of BackYard Chickens!
 
I was thinking if I had to do it, I would do it tonight, seems much kinder to put him in with the big girls at night. He's used them, and does just fine with the big girls. He was originally put in with his Bantam bride for companionship as she was recovering from a very serious injury and could not be in the gen. pop.! Apparently, it was a match made in chicken heaven!
 
I know you've already decided, but in eleven years of total experience with hatching chicks under a broody (bantams when I was a kid, standards now that I've finally got a good broody hen population going) I have never had a rooster hurt a chick, aside from a minor peck when they got in the way at feeding time. Why would they? Chances are, some of those chicks are their babies.

Unrelated hens are a much greater danger to the chicks than roosters will ever be.
 
Jimsgirl said:
Thank you all for the advise, out he goes just be on the safe side as I will not be around tomorrow during the day to keep an eye on them!
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sylviethecochin said:
I know you've already decided, but in eleven years of total experience with hatching chicks under a broody (bantams when I was a kid, standards now that I've finally got a good broody hen population going) I have never had a rooster hurt a chick, aside from a minor peck when they got in the way at feeding time. Why would they? Chances are, some of those chicks are their babies.

Unrelated hens are a much greater danger to the chicks than roosters will ever be.
Click to expand...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rooster-killed-a-chick.975166/

Have a read at this.
 

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