new chicks

[katfitz007]

we have just received the first arrival of 3 lovely chicks that were born naturally on saturday morning. how long does the mother have to stay with her chicks? when should they be seperated? the mothers comb is looking a little weak. any tips to help her build her strength, shes been sitting for 3 weeks now. any advice is much apprecieated.
kathleen , west cork, ireland

 

[teach1rusl]

Congrats on your hatch! They don't ever have to be separated from mama -she will be the one to tell you when she's done with the babies...most likely by the time they're feathered in decently, but it varies. I've read of mothers with NEW hatchlings that still had junior snuggling up to her...lol. But I don't think that happens very often.
Yeah, when they're sitting on eggs, hens don't take very good care of themselves. Just make sure she has access to good feed, and you could add in some scrambled egg and other nutrient rich treats to help her pick her weight and strength back up....