What do Ido with them AFTER she hatches them?

[bkreugar]

So I am just fine buying chicks from feedstore, but DS 10 is dedicated to hatching out with
our broody hens. So we have done it 2x now with not a lot of sucess.

It's not that they don't hatch, its that after the hen and chicks go out and about they get picked off one by one by outside predators.

So currently I have a duccle and a black tailed japenese in my bantam tractor sitting on 4 good candled eggs, and in the big coop a buff sitting on 14 good eggs.

So not only am I wondering how to do things different this time, but I have 2 seperate broodies t worry about.

In the past I looked them IN the big coop for about 5 days then I had to let them out. Then they would slowely get picked off during the day.

So how do you guys handle it? Do I move her to some kind off temporary pen? If so how long before I can let them free range with the others? Also if I do a different temporary pen do I need another for the bantams?

In the past I have had a buff orp that shared mothering duties WITH a leghorn. Literally one would sit on nest and the other would give breaks and then after they hatched one hen would be in front and the other behind the chicks.

Looking for some direction to improve my chances of getting vhicks to adult hood. DS REALLY wants chicks from our hens. TIA

 

[Ridgerunner]

It would really help if we knew what was picking them off. Without knowing that, all I can suggest is build a predator proof coop and run and keep them in that until they get big enough to make it.

If you know what it is getting them, you can perhaps try to permanently remove that threat.

 

[drumstick diva]

A broody- Mother hen has no lethal weapons to use against predators. She, chicks and other chickens need a safe place to be chickens. A coop with attached outdoor securely fenced run would be a good start. Not flimsy chicken wire. But nice solid 1/2" hardware cloth, a run cover even if just deer fencing to keep hawks out. If you hatched chicks In an incubator, they shouldn't move out to the coop until they are fully feathered. If hatched and raised by mama, she does all the work and teaches the babies what to eat and where to find water, etc. If she and brood are protected from the bad things running loose (raccoons, fox, coyotes, opossums etc.) her chicks will grow up to be fine, industrious chicken citizens.

 

[bkreugar]

I really believe it is eagle(s). I have succesfully saved several bantams from the eagle, The bantam would see the threat and run to the porch and would either make it or be very close and I would hear ruckus and come flying out and hawk/eagle would fly away. Also saved buff orp from an eagle, that was pure chance as it caught her in front yard, she was almost to big for her, I heard her screaming as I was dealing with fire wood and came running up to find hawk woith her clutched in the low branches of a pine.

I ran up to hawk screaming like banshee and haw dropped orp hen, who was only missing back feathers. So I DO have an issue with birds of prey. So If I make a temporary covered run for them at what point do I let them out? I let my half growns free range with flock at about 8/10 weeks. But I figure mama is NOT going to want to mommy for that long.

Does that help?

Can I put both mamas and the babies in the temp pen or would I need 2?

 

[bkreugar]

I have a secure coop AND covered run I let them out to free range for about 4 hrs a day. That is only time I have issues with predators. I don't see a way to keep hen and babies in and others out.

 

[Brookliner]

I leave my broody with the chicks until it looks like she is ignoring them. The last batch of chicks were already laying and still sitting next to the broody hen on the roost at night. If the 2 broody hens get along they could be together. If not separate them. If you don't they might fight over the chicks and the chicks always loose. If you have a known predator problem you have to predator proof their environment. I have every predator around after my chickens. So I have large predator proof runs and coops.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’ll admit I did not expect you to say birds of prey. They are federally protected so you can get in real trouble hurting one, especially an eagle. Your chickens will always be vulnerable to a bird of prey. You yourself mentioned the hawk and the buff which I take to be a full sized chicken. I have plenty of hawks around, no eagles, but just haven’t had any problems with them. My broodies take their chicks out to roam. I can’t explain why the difference.

Keeping them locked up until the chicks are bigger sounds impractical from what you said. You could maybe provide extra places for them to hide under where they roam. I’ve seen a hawk take a pigeon. Hawks strike fast. Extra hiding places might help, but I certainly can’t give guarantees.

Some people have had success stringing CD’s over a run to deter hawks but if yours free range, that’s not practical. No help, I know.

On the different broodies together with their chicks, you’ve seen that they can work together to raise the chicks. It’s possible they will imprint on their own and ignore the other broody and chicks. It’s possible the broodies will fight for the right to raise them all. It’s even possible one will try to attack the chicks of the other. If their hatch dates are different, it’s possible the ones with the late eggs will abandon their eggs and go to help raise the chicks that have already hatched when they hear them. Lots of things are possible. I haven’t seen all these but there have been posts on here where people report all these.

From what I’ve seen, the bad things usually don’t happen. That doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t, just that they usually don’t. I don’t know what your facilities look like. It sounds like you are not set up to separate them. The smaller the pen you keep them in most of the day, the more likely there will be conflict. The way I see it, you have two options. You can just let them hatch and see what happens. Or if they all hatch at the same time, you can give all the chicks to the buff and break the others form being broody. This time of year, a full sized chicken should be able to handle 18 chicks. I guess a third option, build a new pen.

I don’t think I’ve helped you at all. You have a rough one and I just don’t see any practical solutions. I wish you luck.

 

[CAjerseychick]

Do you have anything roaming around to help you deter predators?-- We have big dogs (the Deer dont even come round anymore) that are very vigilant at night and cats that are great at killing things... I even found hawk feathers in the shrubs my chickens like to forage in.... cross your fingers but no losses yet in 1 year (our first)...
I think our outside pets do help protect the chickens-- but it did take 6months and 8 chickens to get our giant schnauzer to understand the chickens are part of the family not prey (she can lay out with them in the pasture now no problem)....

 

[RedDrgn]

I have a secure coop AND covered run I let them out to free range for about 4 hrs a day. That is only time I have issues with predators. I don't see a way to keep hen and babies in and others out.

Then I'd recommend not free-ranging the chicks/adolescents until they're of similar size to the rest of the flock. Otherwise, there's little you can do other than to stay with them (and that's not necessarily proof against a pick-off from above, either) the entire time they are out.