Newly hatched babies

[Pam Allan]

I just discovered my cornish hen who has been AWOL for about 2 weeks has hatched a bunch of babies in the front yard. We have rat snakes and other predators. I wonder - should I move her to a rabbit cage (pretty large) along with the babies and unhatched eggs for them to be safer - or should I just leave her alone?

 

[chicmom]

It would be safer for her if you did that, in my opinion. Even other chickens will kill the chicks.....

 

[Pam Allan]

I just moved them to the cage - I feel better - I think mama does too. I moved the eggs too - there were 4 unhatched - thankfully I was out there fitting the poultry netting over the cage to keep the snakes out when I heard a pop and sure enough one of the eggs had popped - Yuck - anyway - I got it out in a hurry and disposed of it - boy do those things stink! If the others haven't hatched by tomorrow night - I'm removing them. It's so hot here I don't want anymore rotten eggs under her and all over the babies. She's sitting on them now - they are soooo cute. Mama is a Cornish hen and daddy is an Austrolorps.