Surprise chicks!

[Shadomommy]

Hey everyone!! I had a surprise this morning! One of my hens was secretly hiding a mass of eggs and this morning they hatched!! My chickens and roosters are 100% free range but i have four coops that i can lock up if needed.
My question is, with three roosters and about 25 other hens roaming around, are these new babies safe? The mommy hen is super grouchy when i go near her and she is pretty well hidden. Ive raised chicks to adults with no mother hen tons of times but this is the first time one of my babies actually went broody long enough to hatch out!! Should i attempt to catch and cage mom and chicks?
Thank you for any advice!!

 

[N F C]

What a wonderful surprise!

I've never dealt with protecting chicks from roosters, so hopefully someone else comes along with some good advice.

 

[Shadomommy]

I hope so!! I have three roosters, two of which are rather passive and one a tad funky lol All the naughty roosters are locked up hahaha

 

[Paganrose]

In the past my broody mama's have done excellent jobs at keeping the chicks away from my nasty rooster I had (he became stew eventually). It sounds like she is being a good mama by staying hidden and being growly! I would try and provider her with a predator proof area however!

 

[Shadomommy]

Thank you! Yes we are going to transfer her and the 15 chicks ( omg 15!!) to one of the ground level coops as soon as i get the nerve to grab her! She is super feisty and pecking fiercely at me when i get close! Ahhh!

 

[Paganrose]

Thank you! Yes we are going to transfer her and the 15 chicks ( omg 15!!) to one of the ground level coops as soon as i get the nerve to grab her! She is super feisty and pecking fiercely at me when i get close! Ahhh!

Thick gloves! perferably leather!

 

[Ridgerunner]

In my experience, I’ve never had a mature rooster threaten chicks. I have had mature roosters help Mama take care of the chicks. These mean old nasty roosters can get really nasty when protecting what they think are their babies though the broody hen is usually nastier when her babies are threatened.

I have had some hens and immature cockerels threaten chicks. Mama promptly and thoroughly kicks butt. Nobody threatens her babies and gets away with it.

I have sufficient room. If you have them shoehorned into a tiny area, the risk does go up. Not from a mature dominant rooster but the other hens and cockerels. Mama does need a little room to work.

One word of warning when you pick up the broody hen. The chicks like to crawl up under her wings and feathers. I once crushed a chick to death when I picked up a broody hen. A chick was tucked under her wing.

I find the more I interfere with a broody hen the more harm I do. Broody hens have been raising chicks with the flock for thousands of years with no help or interference from humans. I make sure water and food is at the chicks’ level and otherwise just stay out of the way and let Mama do her job.

 

[Shadomommy]

Thanks!! Good to know!! So much i dont know if i should worry about hahah All my chickens are at least three yrs old. Im afraid or wild predators too. She is brooking no nonsense from the other chickens! She has those babies tucked under a massive fir tree now! I picked up the momma after she charged me and the babies scattered like cockroaches hahah i let her go as fast as i could! I really want her in the safe pen i have! I dont wanna stress them too much but im terrified of the nightlife! We live in the middle of undeveloped 1k acres and have had lots of unusual experiences with wild critters!!