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DiPivac

In the Brooder
Jan 17, 2025
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Hi
I have had 4 Golden Laced Wyandotts - 3 hens and a rooster - for a year.
Recently 2 hens went broody and I thought I'd leave them to it. One hen laid 4 eggs, 1 chick hatched. The second laid just one and it has hatched too. Talk about an anxious time trying to decide if the remaining 3 eggs were viable. 10 days after the chick had hatched I decided the others weren't going to and removed them (I could hear a slosh when I gave them a gentle shake).
I moved both hens to a safe environment, the main coop isn't secure and the chicks wouldn't last 5 minutes. The "maternity wing" isn't very big and the hens don't like each other a lot but they're both good, keen mothers.
My question now is: should I leave both hens in the smaller coop for 6 weeks (or until the chicks are big enough to defend themselves), or should I send one back to the main flock and give the chick to the second?
I found BYC when I was googling my question. I'm really glad I found the site, I have lots of questions.
Of course my next one is going to be about figuring out whether the chicks are hens or roos!
Thanks for any advice anyone can give me regarding removing one of the hens.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
You should allow both hens to raise their chicks within the flock. You can't take a chick away from one hen and give it to the other one. It doesn't work that way. Each chick will stay with its mother and the mother will only, generally, except her own chick. Your entire coop and run should be predator-proofed for the safety of the entire flock. Chicks hatched within a flock do not need to be defended from flock members. The mother looks after them until they're ready to be weaned. By then they can handle things themselves.
 
Welcome to BYC! Thanks for joining us.
The babies will have already imprinted with their mothers and won't recognize the other hens as such. I would chick proof your coop and let the broodies raise their babies with the rest of your flock.

Once the chicks are 6-8 weeks old you should have a good guess on what genders they are. Wyandottes tend to pink up early so don't be too quick to assume you've got boys. Feel free to post pictures when the time comes.
 
DiPivac said:
Hi
I have had 4 Golden Laced Wyandotts - 3 hens and a rooster - for a year.
Recently 2 hens went broody and I thought I'd leave them to it. One hen laid 4 eggs, 1 chick hatched. The second laid just one and it has hatched too. Talk about an anxious time trying to decide if the remaining 3 eggs were viable. 10 days after the chick had hatched I decided the others weren't going to and removed them (I could hear a slosh when I gave them a gentle shake).
I moved both hens to a safe environment, the main coop isn't secure and the chicks wouldn't last 5 minutes. The "maternity wing" isn't very big and the hens don't like each other a lot but they're both good, keen mothers.
My question now is: should I leave both hens in the smaller coop for 6 weeks (or until the chicks are big enough to defend themselves), or should I send one back to the main flock and give the chick to the second?
I found BYC when I was googling my question. I'm really glad I found the site, I have lots of questions.
Of course my next one is going to be about figuring out whether the chicks are hens or roos!
Thanks for any advice anyone can give me regarding removing one of the hens.
Click to expand...
Welcome to BYC! I also have GL wyandottes! I have bantams and we show! Im not sure about your question (SORRY!).
 
4F755A18-C397-4860-91BC-09745DEDB8C2.jpeg
 

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