OMG!! I HAVE BABIES!! NOW WHAT!!

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Okay...I'll try and make this short....I have one Bantam hen that went broody...thinking my Rooster is a DUD....I bought a dozen green eggs and placed six under her...hoping they were fertile...and they were!!! Yesterday they hatched....YEAH!!! ..
..So I want to know if I can place them in a larger wire dog cage in the coop with wood around the bottom and leave mama in there with them for how long? Right now they are in a very small cage that I placed over her while she was laying on them ...the others were laying there eggs in her spot...Can i touch the babies at a day old?
....buying medicated chick food in the next hour and was wondering should I keep it away from my other six hens....Rooster is now tasty broth at the neighbours...worrying about eating their eggs if they eat some.....
....should I just leave shavings or should I put some paper towels under feeder ?
....at what age can I let them go with mom....in fenced in area with the other girls....
...Can someone point me to a spot on here that explains more about hens raising their babies....Thank you so much !!! My babies are so so so darn cute....
....

 

[RobinEgg]

Congrats on the new wee ones! Mommas are usually pretty good at protecting their babies. But I like to keep the hen and chicks in their own little coop, keep fresh water and chick food available so the little ones can get to it safely. Good luck with them .

 

[s6bee]

She should do a pretty good job at keeping them safe. That way the hens are used to them too and there is no intergration period and mess along with. See how they are.

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Thanks for replying ....and for the information....
Yesterday I did my self proud . I put about a foot of board around the wire dog cage using hubby's skill saw and used his drill to make holes to fasten it all together with the hay twine......He was shocked...when I wanner down I wanner down...now he's putting his tools away and not leaving them lying around.......where they should be in the first place.......hahaha!
I placed the chicks and Mama in and put some chick feed and chick waterer......she's a good Mama ....
!. Still kinda worried about if my other girls eat some of the chick food..can I still eat there eggs if they do??..they shouldn't be able to with the fortress walls around the dog cage....
2. ..What age can I let Mama and her babies run with the other girls....Mama is a bantam and my other girls are sex links ...they do tend to bully my bantam...but the bantam is usually skittish anyways....
Man I could go on forever ....feels like I just brought home my first child ....Its all so new...Thanks I'll have more ?'s later...have to go look at them again...