New chicken mom

[RebelEgger]

I’m late to the party but hello and welcome to BYC! You’ve joined a great and resourceful community! Enjoy your journey!
I love that she adopted you! It’s even more special when animals choose us instead of the other way around. ❤

 

[TwoCrows]

Aloha everyone,
One of Rosie’s 2 babies is a rooster- I thinkSo at some point can I take him out of the coop? And could I introduce a different hen about the same age as the rooster? What will both moms feel? Thanks

Introduce birds into an existing flock slowly from behind a fence or cage. Let them all look but not touch for 2 weeks. It's best to mix young birds of similar ages together. And always watch for too much aggression for a couple weeks, intervene if it turns bloody.

 

[DobieLover]

Aloha everyone,
One of Rosie’s 2 babies is a rooster- I thinkSo at some point can I take him out of the coop? And could I introduce a different hen about the same age as the rooster? What will both moms feel? Thanks

Do you mean you want to remove the cockerel (a male chicken under the age of 1 year) from the batch one broody hatched and swap him out with a same aged pullet from another broody hatch of similar age? In that case, no, I would not do that. Just wait until mom weans the chicks then you can rehome the cockerel.

 

[swampfox440]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Flo7]

Hi! So the one I want to swap is outside. Rosie and her 2 are coop only 5’ x 9’ x 6’ . There are too many dangers outside: feral cats, mongoose and some people. My neighbor will hose them and other things. How will I know when Rosie weans the cockerel? New term for me

 

[DobieLover]

Hi! So the one I want to swap is outside. Rosie and her 2 are coop only 5’ x 9’ x 6’ . There are too many dangers outside: feral cats, mongoose and some people. My neighbor will hose them and other things. How will I know when Rosie weans the cockerel? New term for me

In a normal living arrangement she would drive her chicks off and make them fend for themselves. I have no idea how this would work out with them living in a coop only.
They have NO access to the outdoors?

 

[Flo7]

Her coop is outdoors, with grass under. She has herbs inside and the other chickens hang out in the yard. She seems really happy, and I’m pretty sure she feels safe. When she was outside, the other chickens kind of bullied her. She had her babies before her coop arrived, and she would show up in the am, frantically eat and then run off to her nest wherever it was. Her feet and tail were
Muddy most of the time. Now, she hangs out, is teaching her 2 chicks to dust bath and has been trying to get them to fly on top of the inner coop. 2 of the other mama hens and chicks hang out next to her coop during the day, and when she feels the are too close she warns them away!

 

[Flo7]

Hi folks, so as a newbie chicken mom it’s all new to me. Rosie refuses to go into the wood coop that is noise the wire coop. We live in Hawaii but the evenings are getting chilly. She is trying to teach her 2 young to fly onto the roof or the wood coop, but they are not there yet, so she sleeps on the ground. I even put an empty kitty litter container on its side with wood shavings, but no. So, should I put straw or something on the ground? Additionally, the adolescent I’ve been eying was abandoned by the mom yesterday, and honestly I don’t the know it was her laying mom because the other chicks she had were bigger. Last night I put that chick inside the wood coop. How long before I can let her out to be among Rosie and her babes?

 

[DobieLover]

Hi folks, so as a newbie chicken mom it’s all new to me. Rosie refuses to go into the wood coop that is noise the wire coop. We live in Hawaii but the evenings are getting chilly. She is trying to teach her 2 young to fly onto the roof or the wood coop, but they are not there yet, so she sleeps on the ground. I even put an empty kitty litter container on its side with wood shavings, but no. So, should I put straw or something on the ground? Additionally, the adolescent I’ve been eying was abandoned by the mom yesterday, and honestly I don’t the know it was her laying mom because the other chicks she had were bigger. Last night I put that chick inside the wood coop. How long before I can let her out to be among Rosie and her babes?

No matter how chilly you think it gets in Hawaii it's not cold! Ever.
Your hen looks like a game bird mix. They do not do well with confinement. More than likely she's never seen a coop before. Her natural instincts tell her to go high to roost. Her chicks are just too small to make that flight up to the top of the coop. That is why she is nesting on the ground with them.
Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't the primary predators in Hawaii mongoose and domestic dogs? Both of those animals will have no problem tearing through that chicken wire that surrounds your pen. If you could upgrade to 1/2" hardware cloth you'd be better off. How old are the chicks?

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. Thank you for joining the flock.

Dobie Lover has given you great information. You will do fine if you heed it.