New Momma Behavior

[AnchoredHomestead]

So chicks are a week old…Momma was broody so we brought her day old chicks. She’s being an amazing momma and the chicks are thriving. She isn’t taking great care of herself though. She’s not droopy or sick looking/behaving but she doesn’t willingly get off the nest. She had vent fleet and prolapse from constipation. She’s pooping now but only during soaks for the issues and or when we take babies out from under her…she will then get up, poo, dust bathe, eat and drink. It’s as though she believes she can not leave babies even for a moment to nourish and personal hygiene care herself. Is this normal? Can I help her some way?
Right now she and babies are fenced off from the flock, in sight but protected. At what point do I not have them fenced off so that maybe she’s up and about off that nest more? I, of course, want the best for babies, but she is also a priority to keep healthy! TIA

 

[DobieLover]

I always remove any isolation barriers between the flock and the broody and her chicks when the chicks are highly mobile. The chicks are highly mobile at one week old. I would take down that netting immediately.
What are you offering the flock for food now? She needs to feed the chicks chick starter or Flock Raiser or some other equivalent. That means the flock needs to be on that. If you have any active layers you need to put out a container or two of oyster shell on the side for them.
How long had she been broody when you gave her the chicks? Are there any fake eggs still in the nest?

 

[AnchoredHomestead]

I always remove any isolation barriers between the flock and the broody and her chicks when the chicks are highly mobile. The chicks are highly mobile at one week old. I would take down that netting immediately.
What are you offering the flock for food now? She needs to feed the chicks chick starter or Flock Raiser or some other equivalent. That means the flock needs to be on that. If you have any active layers you need to put out a container or two of oyster shell on the side for them.
How long had she been broody when you gave her the chicks? Are there any fake eggs still in the nest?

Momma and baby are already on chick starter. The entire flock will be as well once they are no longer secluded, as was the plan and will be for awhile as we are getting more chicks over the next 5 weeks.
Momma had been broody almost 3 full weeks after being partial broody for weeks before that. There are no more fake eggs, we swapped the two out for the two chicks.
At one week will she take them to roost or still nest over them? (As in do i simply remove the fencing and keep their little area or am I completely getting rid of their area?)
I appreciate the help. There seems to be good info about being broody on eggs and then the chicks themselves, but not a lot about momma on chicks and what that looks like. If it’s your first time with a hen on chicks there are a lot of new questions/behaviors to learn.

 

[DobieLover]

At one week will she take them to roost or still nest over them?

No, not yet. They are too small and she hasn't started to integrate them into the flock.
The broody will typically take them back to the area she hatched them in. They like to have themselves backed up to a solid wall or in a corner when the nest for the night.

 

[Silexian]

I would remove it completely. She should roost on the floor until the chicks can get up on the roost with her. Most mama hens become aggressive enough to protect their chicks from the rest of the flock. They have a pretty good instinct of what to do. They usually don’t require much human intervention.

 

[AnchoredHomestead]

So right now, when we swapped the eggs out for chicks over a week ago, we put her nesting pad on the floor in a corner and then fenced that off. If I took off the fencing, but left the pad that would be appropriate? She knows to not let them go outside the coop in the freezing temps outside? I have every confidence she’ll protect them, her momma instinct is strong and she’s doing fabulously with them.

 

[DobieLover]

If I took off the fencing, but left the pad that would be appropriate?

You don't need to leave the original nest. Just make sure there is plenty of dry bedding and she'll do the rest.

She knows to not let them go outside the coop in the freezing temps outside?

She may take them out but for the first several days the hen usually doesn't. Cold isn't an issue as the chicks will just run back under her and she will warm them up.
Do you have a run with a solid roof?
Do you free range?

 

[Silexian]

So right now, when we swapped the eggs out for chicks over a week ago, we put her nesting pad on the floor in a corner and then fenced that off. If I took off the fencing, but left the pad that would be appropriate? She knows to not let them go outside the coop in the freezing temps outside? I have every confidence she’ll protect them, her momma instinct is strong and she’s doing fabulously with them.

My hens will usually hatch in the fall. I usually have a few hide nest in the barn. Disappear then show up with chicks in tow. They will take them outside in cold weather. If the chicks can’t make their own way into the coop. The hen will sit on them, until I help them all into the coop. I wait for it to be completely dark. So the hen doesn’t fight me or the chicks scatter. As mentioned in another post. She will get beside a wall or in a corner with her brood.

 

[AnchoredHomestead]

We have a run wrapped and with a clear solid roof, as where we are we have substantial wind and thus wind chill during the winter. We do free range during the day when we are outside as we do not have a roo yet but have a big eagle and hawk presence.

 

[AnchoredHomestead]

My hens will usually hatch in the fall. I usually have a few hide nest in the barn. Disappear then show up with chicks in tow. They will take them outside in cold weather. If the chicks can’t make their own way into the coop. The hen will sit on them, until I help them all into the coop. I wait for it to be completely dark. So the hen doesn’t fight me or the chicks scatter. As mentioned in another post. She will get beside a wall or in a corner with her brood.

I was just going to ask if it’d be interfering to help them in the coop in the evening when everyone goes in to roost. My flock is still coming in around 5-6 to roost…not completely dark; they tend to go in around dusk.