VeggieGoneEggie
Songster
Hello!
So about 6 weeks ago, I had two broody hens - and they adopted 6 little 2-day old chicks that they were basically "fostering" for a friend of mine.
Now, the chicks are 6 weeks old, and arguably totally ready to transport over to their permanent home.
1 of the 2 hens abdicated her mothering duties a week ago, but the 2nd hen is still in mama mode: she still tends to her little herd of 6 week old baby dinosaurs, clucks and tidbits, and nestles with them in the nesting box. This morning, I tried to take her to a different fenced off section of my yard (to have her work on the weeds there, and to see how she would do away from the chicks) and she spent the whole time mildly panicking looking for how to get back to her babies.
My friend is set to pick up and take the chicks away tonight. We'll grab them from the nesting box at dusk.
But I'm worried that mama hen will be super sad and depressed.
Who has experience taking chicks away from mamas? Will she be ok? Once we take the chicks, should I pick her up and put her on the roost with my other hens? Anything I can do to make this transition as easy as possible on her?
So about 6 weeks ago, I had two broody hens - and they adopted 6 little 2-day old chicks that they were basically "fostering" for a friend of mine.
Now, the chicks are 6 weeks old, and arguably totally ready to transport over to their permanent home.
1 of the 2 hens abdicated her mothering duties a week ago, but the 2nd hen is still in mama mode: she still tends to her little herd of 6 week old baby dinosaurs, clucks and tidbits, and nestles with them in the nesting box. This morning, I tried to take her to a different fenced off section of my yard (to have her work on the weeds there, and to see how she would do away from the chicks) and she spent the whole time mildly panicking looking for how to get back to her babies.
My friend is set to pick up and take the chicks away tonight. We'll grab them from the nesting box at dusk.
But I'm worried that mama hen will be super sad and depressed.
Who has experience taking chicks away from mamas? Will she be ok? Once we take the chicks, should I pick her up and put her on the roost with my other hens? Anything I can do to make this transition as easy as possible on her?
