silkie brood ????

[abhaya]

I am in the building a coop for my young silkies. I know they get broody often and make great mommas. My question is when a hen sits on a nest and hatches chicks do you leave the momma and chicks in the coop or do you need to move them? If I need to move them how big a coop do I need for thet pourpose?

 

[Judy]

I don't move mine, and they are LF, not generally considered to be as dependable about being good broodies and mamas as Silkies.
There are pros and cons. In the end it is a personal choice.

 

[MuranoFarms]

I usually move mine to a small dog crate after hatch. I let momma out twice a day for about 1/2 hour and keep chick feed and water in for the babies. I let them 'free range' from time to time in the covered run. Those babies are just too easy for a hawk to snatch up.....even though my silkie is a great mama, when they're too little I think it's too risky to free range. However, if you don't have predators around then they should be fine.

 

[Surehatch]

Quote:
I'm gonna follow your advice and try this out