New baby chicks!

[Chickmomma12]

We are new to chickens and I want to make sure I’m doing this right. Our hen hatched 7 chicks 4 days ago. We moved them to the back porch in a make shift kiddie pool pen. We have wooden box,water and food & shavings for them with heat lamp at night. They are about 20 feet from other chickens. Is this ok? The hen keeps scratching at the bottom of the pool. Is this normal? Want to make sure I’m doing the right thing. I can send photos if needed. Thanks!

 

[Ms Clucky]

Her scratching is normal unless the pool is slick. She is trying to teach her babies to eat. Put a bunch of chick feed on bottom of pool. When my hen had babies, I put her in a small cage right inside the coop. Just make sure the other chickens can't get to the babies by putting cardboard around the sides of the cage so they can't get out or the others can't pull their feathers. Your mother hen will poo big ones and stinky ones, so be prepared for that.

 

[aart]

We moved them to the back porch in a make shift kiddie pool pen.

Moved them from where?
Best to keep broody and chicks with the flock.

Oh, and....Welcome to BYC!
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[Chickmomma12]

We live in central Florida. I moved them to the back porch, to help with ants etc and be under shelter. Here is the pen. It’s about 20 fr from the other chickens in the back yard. Is it good?
Also, the mom keeps kicking wood chips in the water dish, when I get home it’s all filled with chips!

 

[RoosterML]

I would not use the heat lamp that’s what mama is for. Dish on floor filled with junk is normal, not much you can do until chicks get a little bigger

 

[Acre4Me]

All sounds normal. It is very fun to watch a momma hen teach her babies to be chickens! We have had one hen that has raised 2 broods via adoption. She is currently rounding out the 6th week as a momma hen with the second set. The first time I gave them a "treat" of wet chick crumble on a plate (around 1 week) it was fun to watch momma teach them that it was food and cluck etc for something new. And they certainly love to scratch for food! Enjoy the experience!

 

[gander007]

Cute story and all sounds good and normal