Separate brooder pen for new moms and chicks or house them together? PICS PLEASE!

[Ridgerunner]

Hen hatching chicks

Brooder

 

[JesNflock]

So you limit it to cockerels Racheal. I put an equal number of males and females in the freezer. Just Tuesday, I got the last of my 43 down to 8 hens in my breeding flock, one rooster, and 4 chicks from a late broody hatch that will be processed probably in January. My limit on how many I hatch is how many we’ll eat in a year. Got a pullet in the oven right now.

Two different situations for me. When I hatch them in an incubator, they go directly into my brooder which is in the coop. Somewhere around 5 weeks of age, they move to my grow-out coop, then at 8 weeks I turn them loose to run with the flock. I have a lot of space and they grow up across a fence from the adults, both of which I think is important. I’ve never lost one doing it this way, which shows I’m being too safe, but I’m OK with that. But this is for my unique situation. If space were tighter I’d probably need to wait longer to let them loose, maybe to the point that they are practically grown. That’s not to say I’ve never lost a chick I’ve hatched and raised in a brooder. I have, but not to the other chickens.

My broodies hatch with the flock and raise them with the flock. I can remember 3 different times I’ve had a problem.

1.A one week old chick got separated from the broody and into my grow-out pen with a bunch of 8 week olds. The broody could not get into that grow-our pen to protect the chick and those 8 week olds killed it. I fixed that gate so that could not happen again. The irony was that I was going to let those 8 week olds loose the next day. If they had been loose, the broody would have been able to protect her chick.
2.I had a chick kill one of its hatch mates and attack two others. The broody just stood by and let it. I was able to intervene with two of them but I didn’t see the other until too late. That all happened before the chicks were two weeks old. That had nothing to do with them being raise with the flock. That could have happened whether they were in a brooder or if the broody and her chicks were isolated from the flock.
3.The third time was when a hen went broody just before another broody hatched. The second hen had not even been broody the two nights I use to confirm she is worthy of eggs. I think what happened is when the first broody’s eggs internal pipped and the chicks started peeping inside the eggs, the two broodies fought over the eggs. For whatever reason the two broodies fought and half the eggs were destroyed a couple of days before they would have hatched.

Depending I how you consider that second broody in the third example, I’ve never had another problem with any of the other normal hens in the flock and certainly not the rooster. I’ve had a few dominant roosters help the broody take care of the chicks, though most of my roosters don’t do that.

It would be hard to lose those chicks, even knowing you may lose some.It still would be a little tough. I just recently introduced chicks that I got when they were 4 and 5 weeks old to my now 6 month old pullet and roo. After quarantine, I kept them in an area that the older ones could see them but not get to. I just started letting them free range together (not that the chicks, who are 9 & 10 weeks old now, will go very far from their safe haven), but they are able to get back inside and the older ones can't follow...helps that the chicks are pretty darn quick & they know to RUN! lol

 

[JesNflock]

Hen hatching chicks


Brooder

I do like the idea of having the brooder in with the flock.

 

[poultryqueen157]

I have an incubator will post a picture later the only thing I don't like ks the possibilty of power being lost.

 

[JesNflock]

I have an incubator will post a picture later the only thing I don't like ks the possibilty of power being lost.

Do you have room for rocks in it? I read that that will help to keep the temp warm even if power goes out.

 

[JesNflock]

Anyone have more pics of broody hens with eggs or new chicks? Please post your pics!!!

 

[LTygress]

I do a little bit of everything. Incubator/brooder, broody hen alone, or broody hen with the main flock.

The only thing I've ever run into problems with, was putting a broody hen in with the main flock WHILE she was broody (and had been separate for about a month). The others chased her off of the eggs, and when I tried later, they attacked the babies. I lost one, but the other four survived, and they are actually free-ranging with mommy out in the back yard right now.

I keep trying to put her with the flock. But the babies go through the lattice on the gate, leaving mommy inside FREAKING OUT because she can't see them (most of the pen is sheet metal), nor get to them. So I feel bad for her, and let her back out with them.

She's managed to take care of them though, despite us having a raccoon problem that took out a buff polish. (He was later caught and given to someone that put the 'coon in her freezer).

 

[LTygress]

This first pic is the mommy and babies that I tried to mix in with the main flock several times. This was the first time I brought her inside, after the other hens chased her out of the nest. The eggs got chilly, so I brought her and the eggs inside. They hatched just fine, right on my bedroom floor, and that's where they stayed for a day.





All of these other photos, are pics of mommies with their babies WITH the rest of the flock.

 

[JesNflock]

I do a little bit of everything. Incubator/brooder, broody hen alone, or broody hen with the main flock.

The only thing I've ever run into problems with, was putting a broody hen in with the main flock WHILE she was broody (and had been separate for about a month). The others chased her off of the eggs, and when I tried later, they attacked the babies. I lost one, but the other four survived, and they are actually free-ranging with mommy out in the back yard right now.

I keep trying to put her with the flock. But the babies go through the lattice on the gate, leaving mommy inside FREAKING OUT because she can't see them (most of the pen is sheet metal), nor get to them. So I feel bad for her, and let her back out with them.

She's managed to take care of them though, despite us having a raccoon problem that took out a buff polish. (He was later caught and given to someone that put the 'coon in her freezer).

This first pic is the mommy and babies that I tried to mix in with the main flock several times. This was the first time I brought her inside, after the other hens chased her out of the nest. The eggs got chilly, so I brought her and the eggs inside. They hatched just fine, right on my bedroom floor, and that's where they stayed for a day.





All of these other photos, are pics of mommies with their babies WITH the rest of the flock.

She sounds like she's a good mommy...Sorry bout your chick.
They look like they are doing great with everyone! I can't wait to start hatching some eggs! I love seeing all the babies
Glad the coon found a nice new chilly home.

Thanks for the pics!

 

[wood&feathers]

This is my broody setup. It is attached to the main flock's run with a closeable pop door. When no one is broody they like to lay in the pictured brood box. They have a larger coop on the other side of my 10x12' run.



I have a cubalaya pullet who just hatched 3 weeks ago. Darn girl is trying to act like a Silkie - I found her sitting 2 eggs, with the chicks, today! Considering that I have allowed her to run outside near sunset to forage, poop and play brazen hussy to the roos, they might be fertile!