Surrogate mom hatched her babies!

[BowChilling]

My only rooster is an Americana and I didn't want to mix breed my birds. Had a very broody Barred Rock so I let her sit on 5 blue eggs. 3 of them hatched today and there is a peep hole in another!

My question is, do I need to separate them from my other chickens? I was not planning to do this. Just going to let the mom protect them

Funny thing about this is this one Barred Rock hates those Americanas!

 

[sourland]

If she is high in the pecking order, she should be able to protect her chicks from the rest of the flock. I would advise closely monitoring the situation.

 

[BowChilling]

Thanks Sourland! She is without a doubt on top of the pecking order. The rooster is even scared of her!! Strange enough though she is the most person friendly chicken I have.

 

[BowChilling]

She has had them out of the nest box today letting them feed and water. The other chickens seem to just ignore them.

 

[BowChilling]

Just as an update all 4 chicks are still kicking and now 2 weeks old! They have survived some scares. A 6 foot black rat snake got into the coop but the chickens sounded the alarm and I got him out before he had dinner!