newly hatched chicks and nowhere to put them

[dftkarin]

I have a small up-on-stilts coop and 4 hens and one became broody, a neighbor gave me 6 fertilized eggs - and yesterday they all hatched!! It looks like 5 are alive and healthy. I didn't have any safe place to keep them and I was afraid last night the sisters might bug the broody one - so I took the nesting boxes out of the coop, grabbed the mom and chicks and put them in a big latchable dog carrier and left the carrier inside the coop overnight. That way I could add water and chick starter and the grown chickens couldn't knock things over or eat the medicated chick starter. The other chickens are complaining because the inside of the coop is all cramped and different with the carrier in there - and the mom and her chicks are okay for today - but will need more space shortly - so what can/should I do? I do have a tractor (just a 3x5' box covered with chicken wire) that I could move the dog carrier into - and then be sure to latch up the dog carrier at night to protect the mom and chicks from predators (it still won't be as secure or warm and dry as the coop itself). If the chicks are around the older chickens, even with the mom right near by, might the adults peck the chicks? What have you other folks done when you've had a broody hatch chicks but no seperate coop? I wish I had a a subdivision on my coop, or a small extra coop - but I don't. Any advice would be very appreciated!!! The chicks are so cute!!

 

[Danigirl3]

While I am no expert when I had a hen with chicks mine stayed in with the others and they never bothered the chicks. In fact I had two hens that acted like the motehr so I really never knew who the chicks belonged to as they both sat on the nest. I had banties. I'm sure every situation is different.

 

[dftkarin]

What did you do about the fact that the chicks and adults have different food needs? Is there a way to keep them together but keep them from eating each other's food?

 

[Snap62]

You can seperate your chicks at one day old. I use the large plastic totes, that can be bought at Walmart or Dollar general for about 8 dollars.

I have them in the house with a hooded light with 75 watt bulb. They usually stay in the tote for about 4 or 5 weeks, and then move to my brooder pens.

My brooder pen is 4' wide and 8 feet long. It is split into 4 2'x4' pens, which can accomodate quite a few chicks until they're about 9 weeks or more, and then they move to the coop, pens, or free range

Try the totes with a light. It works great

 

[dftkarin]

Snap62, Thanks for the response. Do you leave the momma hen with the chicks and bring her inside the house too then? That arrangement solves the seperating the food issue, and protects the chicks from possible aggression from the older hens - but then the chicks don't get naturally introduced to the rest of the flock - and don't get to be raised as naturally by their momma. I wish we could have it all!!