Peeps from under my hen! What now?

[rosawoodsii]

One of my hens has been setting eggs and today, day 20, I heard a few peeps.

They're in my tackroom in a dog cage with no front. Most of my other chickens are contained in a coop with run, where I put them after I'd lost 3 layers to a fox. However, I do have three young ones, 3 months old and hen-raised, that have the run of the property and seem to be doing very well. They stick together and don't seem to be in the fox's vicinity. The ones that have been taken have all been off by themselves.

I have two questions:

1) Since I'd really like to let the hen and chicks free range, when can I let them out of the tack room?

2) In the meantime, I'm guessing I need to get them starter food, but will they need that once mama hen takes them out and teaches them the ropes?

3) Will the three pullets that are running out and about bother them at all. I'm guessing mama hen will peck their little heads if they try...

 

[texasgal]

Congrats on your new chicks. I can't help with the questions, but maybe bumping this up will encourage someone else too.

 

[omelette'smom]

Mom will show them the food and water so I'd get that in there as soon as possible even if she's not done with the rest of the hatch. I left some layer pellets for mom as well as baby food and mom tried to make the babies eat the pellets so that's not a good idea to keep that in there. Just make mom eat baby food too. Even free ranging, my chickens eat store bought. "take out" is only a supplement to their diet. (Don't forget baby grit) And yes, mom will make sure the 3 month olds stay back! Mom will be the one to determine when to take the kids out! When she's done hatching she'll just get up and go with babies following behind. For us it was 3-4 days after the first one hatched. Have fun!

 

[lovemychicns]

Is there any trick to holding the chicks to get them used to humans so they are not flighty?

Karen

 

[rosawoodsii]

I managed to spy 3 little chicks--2 dark, 1 light, this morning while Mama was out of the dog carrier. I think there may have been more back there, so I ran to get a flashlight--and she was back on the nest before I got back. Darn! I guess I'll have to wait to see them later. She's going to be a VERY protective mother.

 

[omelette'smom]

That's awesome! How many now? Were we were kinda mean? We used to just reach under and grab them. Moms both trusted us or were used to us? We have 9 babies and 4 of them love us and 5 are skittish. I can't say for sure but I think the 4 that were with my bantum are the loveable ones. My bantum is so passive and sweet. The other is a Polish skitso!

 

[rosawoodsii]

Turns out there were only two.

The "third" I spied was probably a shadow. Today, I took out the last of the eggs, since she hatched the two chicks on Thursday.

The good news is that a friend had just gotten 4 Patridge Rock chicks, and they were four days old yesterday. She asked if my hen could raise them, and I said "Sure, why not?". We put them under the hen last night, and this morning they were part of her brood. What's pretty funny is that those 4 haven't had a mother hen protecting them since hatching, so even though they run to get under her if they're frightened, they're much more adventurous than her two. The hen clucks furiously for them to "COME BACK HERE, RIGHT NOW!" and they take their sweet time. I suspect that within a couple days, they'll be very obedient chicks.