- Apr 6, 2012
- 37
- 2
- 31
My 3 chicks are now 6 and 3 days old, but when mama goes out of the shed where she's brooding them she's frantic and desperate to get exercise, but the chicks don't follow her, they just start screeching loudly. It's SO loud! Mama comes rushing back after only about 30 seconds-- just grabs a mouthful of grass or plops down in the garden dirt-- then seems really disturbed, turning in circles and trying to find a good nesting position again. Should I help the chicks out of the shed (I set up a ramp but so far they don't even come close to it)? They seem so little and aren't running around too much yet-- just staying really close to mama. I want to introduce them to the rest of the flock soon, but so far with mama out alone she gets rushed by the 2 most dominant and they start pecking her immediately. Will that really change when her chicks are with her?she will more then defend them, believe me, she is better off with the girls so you do not have to reintroduce her,and the little ones at a later date. I learned this the hard way, it took months and months to reintroduce those chicks/ pullets. And mama got picked on something awful . I have raised 3 sets of chicks now with a broody, they know how to care for there babies and will do a great job introducing them to the flock and letting the flock know to stay clear. I let my girls out in my yard with the babies after only 3 days, she teaches them right away what to eat, how to forage etc. it's adorable. And the other hens who go near her chicks will get a peck and a chase away. If possible, alwYs leave mama and babies with the flock.-![]()
My first chick hatched 3 days before the other 2 and it was no problem.I have a question, I was affraid to crack open one of my green eggs because I couldn't see in to it and I put it under a different broody that is 7 days into sitting on turkey eggs because broody momma was done sitting and wanted to take her chicks out, well I checked that egg today and I am pretty sure the chick is alive and just pipped internally (heard/felt scraping inside the egg) and hopefully it will hatch.![]()
SO my question is will momma hen accept this chick? Or will she not even know the difference with one more? It is a few days behind the rest (the first chick hatched Wednesday morning and the last hatched Thursday night this one might hatch by this eve I'm guessing).