Old English emerged from woods with 5 chicks!

[shortlid]

My Old English hen disappeared for awhile. Well when I went too lock up Coop tonight, I heard chirping. The 5 that survived appear to be Old English/Silkie mixes. How should I proceed now!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Did she take them into the coop?
How many other birds? What breeds are the others. Are you confident that she can protect them in the flock?

If you have aggressive or dominant breeds I would section off part of the coop for her to raise them in for a few weeks.

It cannot hurt to just watch in the morning and see how things are going. They may be just fine with her protection.

 

[Poultrybreeder]

I would keep her separate from the rest, like in a large dog crate lined with chicken wire or something, and a floor of some kind. Get a shallow baby chick waterer and medicated chick starter. Momma will keep them warm at night. Make sure to have food and water available 24/7. I hope this helps! Congrats and good luck on this adventure.

 

[Morrigan]

It think it depends on your flock. I've had multiple hens raise up their broods amidst the rest of the flock with no problems. Very occasionally, there has been a skirmish between a broody mother and another hen, but it has always resolved quickly with no harm to the chicks. Yet, I've read other stories on this forum, with people who have had very different experiences, so I can't say my experience is the norm. It's just been my experience.

My own personal philosophy has been to always try to do the simplest thing first. If it works out that Momma broody can protect and handle her chicks around the flock with no special help from me, then that's what happens in my flock.

 

[shortlid]

So she is a very small timid Bantam Old English. The rest of my flock is a mix match of standard breed hens, California White, Ancona, Water Eggers. Bantam golden Seabright. There was 6 originaly only 5 survived. Don't know what happened to 6th was stomped into mud in coop floor.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Separation may be the way to go since mum is a timid bird.

 

[varidgerunner]

If she was Old English (standard), she probably wouldn't go in the coop with her chicks, unless she made all of the others leave first. But as a OE bantam, she probably needs a lot of help to raise chicks. My standard games go in the woods and raise chicks all the time and there are chickens I don't even know about living in there, so they don't need much intervention, other than a massive roundup from time to time to control the feral chicken population. But the bantams aren't like that.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Momma's are usually very good at protecting their chicks, however sometimes chicks wander or another hen or roo will get ahold of one. I usually put mom and new chicks in a crate or pen as suggested above until the littles begin feathering out. By then they tend to stay close to mom and can get away from bullies quicker.
Just how it works here.lol

 

[Morrigan]

If you do think separation is warranted, because Momma is small and timid, I would try to create an enclosure where she is still in visual contact with the rest of the flock. For example, if you have the space for it, sectioning off part of the coop with hardware cloth, so she is still "with" the flock, but she and her chicks are safe. That will make it easier when her chicks and older and everyone gets put back with the main flock. If you remove her entirely, the flock may see her and chicks as strangers when they return, and it will be rough on them.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

If you do think separation is warranted, because Momma is small and timid, I would try to create an enclosure where she is still in visual contact with the rest of the flock. For example, if you have the space for it, sectioning off part of the coop with hardware cloth, so she is still "with" the flock, but she and her chicks are safe. That will make it easier when her chicks and older and everyone gets put back with the main flock. If you remove her entirely, the flock may see her and chicks as strangers when they return, and it will be rough on them.

Very good point...I failed to say in my post that my pen or crate is in the barn so they can all see each other...