Taking Chicks from Mom

[whudson]

I've increased my run to about 25x30

One hen went broody and hatched a couple chicks Thursday.
Do I need to take them and raise them, or will they be okay with mom?

I know in the wild, there's plenty to choose from, but being confined to this space, I don't know.

I also made the mistake of taking them out into the run today. I took Mom and the two chicks out to get some sun and see if they would eat any of the grass.

Mom kept fighting off my two month old Brahmas, but they ended up surrounding her and grabbed one of the babies and they were running around with her, and kept fighting to take the chick from each other.

I got them before any real damage was done and put them back in the coop.

 

[Emzyyy]

oooo poor chick good thing you were there

 

[whudson]

Anybody?

 

[gritsar]

Here's a good article on letting Mama handle raising the chicks:

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[BellLisamo]

i plan on taking my broodys chicks.... i like to keep a close eye on their "pasty butts" i lost 2 chicks (my 1st chicks ever) to pasty butt.... i was a newbie, i had NO IDEA i was supposed to check, something told me momma hen would take care of everything....

well now i vowed to never let that happen again. But i am in different circumstances, i would love to let momma raise them IF they were in their own pen. I suppose i will convince my hubby to build a broody momma pen to raise her chicks in. i know chicks are happier that way.

 

[gckiddhouse]

Can you separate the mother with babies? We put our broody in a large dog crate, inside the coop area with the other chickens, and she and the chicks were happy in there for about 2 weeks. At that point, she wanted to bring them out for a dust bath a couple times a day, but didn't go more than about 5 feet away. She ventured further and further over the next 2 weeks.
At 4 weeks, the momma hen started laying again and started separating herself from the babies during the day. By the time they were 4-5 weeks old, she and the babies were roosting with the rest of the chickens. They are 7 weeks old now and spend all their time as a little flock, not far from the coop area. Mom has rejoined the others in roaming the yard.
I guess I do have mine free ranging during the day, but they are fine now even if we leave them in the coop all day, which we do if we are not going to be home.

 

[BellLisamo]

Quote:
oh really? they stay happy in a large dog kennel??? i have a large great dane size kennel i could put mom and babies in..... should i try that?

 

[grandmachicken]

The dog or cat carrier-type kennels work great. I just had two broody hens hatch chicks and they did the same thing, stayed in the carriers for a few weeks, started bringing them out, now they free range with the babies.

I say let the mama take care of the babies. Good luck!

 

[Crazy4cochins]

I read that article,thanks to whoever sent it to me. It was very helpful.
My momma only has 1 baby the other 2 are inside,they were all born on different days.( hens all shared a box) anyways so I took the other two but let her keep the feistiest one.
I have a seperate pen (Still inside the coop) , we cross fenced the yard and cut another door on the otherside of the coop for a nursey area.
i made so momma sleeps in the kennel but I am mean and she has to share that pen with 28 bigger babies.
I figured she would show them the ropes and teach them to stay in line and she does. At night she makes them all wait outside until she is ready to go in her kennel. Then I have to catch and put in the coop 28 screaming babies. I really want to give her back the other two babys so all 3 can be flock mates. but they don't seem as strong as the one's thats with momma hen. i don't know???
I will try to post a pic tom.

 

[gckiddhouse]

Quote:
oh really? they stay happy in a large dog kennel??? i have a large great dane size kennel i could put mom and babies in..... should i try that?

Yep. That is exactly what I used. Here is a pic. It is before they were born, but you can see, they had plenty of room and momma hen was glad to be separated from the other mean hens that were picking on her.

ETA - We covered it with a tarp to keep her warm.