- Jul 12, 2013
- 3
- 1
- 9
I'm a rookie here and would appreciate some experienced feedback.
One of our chickens learned to fly out of the coop and made a nest outside in the woods. The eggs are hatching today, the first baby chick was born this AM and we got a second one on the way. Hopefully 9 total. My partner and I are debating whether we take at least half the chicken away from her and raise them inside, then see what happens to the other half under the mother's care. We live in Hawaii and we have a few potential predators in the property, to name a few, our cat who's a fierce hunter, and mongoose. I think the mother will protect the chicks from the cat, but mongoose can be aggressive and will eat babies. So we thought instead of taking all babies from the mother, leave her with half risking that she may lose some or all, then we'll have at least half that will be sure to thrive. This is my partners idea. I'm having a hard time agreeing with taking the babies from the mother so soon, but I understand his point.
What is best?
If we put her back in the coop after all the chicks are born, the cat won't get in but the mongoose can.
If we bring the babies in, how do we care for them?
What do they eat?
Does it make sense to bring the mother in as well?
Or is the best option to just leave all the babies with the mother and trust mother nature to do what it must?
Mahalo!
Tmelo
One of our chickens learned to fly out of the coop and made a nest outside in the woods. The eggs are hatching today, the first baby chick was born this AM and we got a second one on the way. Hopefully 9 total. My partner and I are debating whether we take at least half the chicken away from her and raise them inside, then see what happens to the other half under the mother's care. We live in Hawaii and we have a few potential predators in the property, to name a few, our cat who's a fierce hunter, and mongoose. I think the mother will protect the chicks from the cat, but mongoose can be aggressive and will eat babies. So we thought instead of taking all babies from the mother, leave her with half risking that she may lose some or all, then we'll have at least half that will be sure to thrive. This is my partners idea. I'm having a hard time agreeing with taking the babies from the mother so soon, but I understand his point.
What is best?
If we put her back in the coop after all the chicks are born, the cat won't get in but the mongoose can.
If we bring the babies in, how do we care for them?
What do they eat?
Does it make sense to bring the mother in as well?
Or is the best option to just leave all the babies with the mother and trust mother nature to do what it must?
Mahalo!
Tmelo