raising chicks by hen...questions...

[greytmommy]

so I have a mama hen and chicks in the coop. I lost a chick today. It wasoutside and got cold and died. Is this normal that mama might lose a chick? I want to be hands off, but I also don't want to lose a bunch of chicks. Mama is a cuckoo maran, and she had 7 chicks. Shouldn't the chicks learn how to go up & down the ramp and stay with mama? Any other hints for raising chicks by hen? We are trying to do this w/o much interference from us. We have a small mixed flock snd there have been no issues w/ the other chickens, and there is a LOT of room in the coop.

thanks in adavnce!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

How old are the babies? Young chicks have trouble navigating ramps. Sometimes they have trouble just getting to and from the feeder, I call it the wobbly toddler stage. It usually takes them a few tries to get the hang of stuff like that. It is normal for broodies to loose chicks. I've had hens that would drag their entire brood of babies back outside for a chick that wasn't smart enough to figure out how to get into the coop. And I've had others who have left chicks like that to chill. Things happen sometimes, sorry about your baby.

 

[greytmommy]

babies are a little over a week.

thanks for the info. I will keep an extra eye out for a little longer.

 

[Remudamom]

I would never let a mama take babies that young outside, and when mine go out for the first time I watch them for a while and then get everyone back in a close the door.

I let them get used to being out a little bit at a time, and watch them closely to make sure they all know where they are and what they are doing, even if they have a broody watching over them.

 

[greytmommy]

so should I partion off the coop so mama and babies can't get out? I could use a hunk of plywod I guess and give them half the coop. I have a HUGE coop and only 5 chickens rigt now.

at what age can they start going outside?