what to do with the babies??

[Sacri]

We have a broody chicken so I got some fertilized eggs for her to sit on. Since she will be hatching these and they are not coming out of an incubator can I leave them in the coop/pasture with her or do I need to separate? If I need to separate do I bring momma with? Also, They are up in a nesting box. Should I move momma and eggs to floor level or just get the chicks down once they hatch. Thanks!

 

[MamaNoccy]

A lot of it is up to personal choice I think, but personally I think it's best to have them on ground level as it'll be too hard for the chicks to get up and down when they hatch. I've set up a seperate box and run next to the main coop so that mama can still see the rest of the flock, but once the babies hatch they'll be kept safe. Plus then you don't have to worry about the rest of your flock eating the chick starter!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Since she will be hatching these and they are not coming out of an incubator can I leave them in the coop/pasture with her or do I need to separate?

You an do either, but if you choose to leave them with the flock, I would make sure that you're available for the first three days or so, and can keep a good eye on them. It sounds like your flock has never had a broody and chicks in it before, and they might not react well. Usually they do, but not always. Also, you want to make sure that the broody's doing well with the chicks. Sometimes, they're great setters and terrible mothers.

If I need to separate do I bring momma with?

Seems sort of cruel to let momma do all the work of hatching out the chicks, but then not let her have the babies, but you can do it. I only separate mum and babies if she's a bad mother.

Also, They are up in a nesting box. Should I move momma and eggs to floor level or just get the chicks down once they hatch.

Get the chicks down once they hatch. No sense disturbing the nest site. Also, chicks have no idea how to use ramps, either, so if you have one leading into your coop, you might need to set up separate accommodations, or just physically go out and bring them in when it's dark or raining.

 

[Sacri]

You an do either, but if you choose to leave them with the flock, I would make sure that you're available for the first three days or so, and can keep a good eye on them. It sounds like your flock has never had a broody and chicks in it before, and they might not react well. Usually they do, but not always. Also, you want to make sure that the broody's doing well with the chicks. Sometimes, they're great setters and terrible mothers.


Seems sort of cruel to let momma do all the work of hatching out the chicks, but then not let her have the babies, but you can do it. I only separate mum and babies if she's a bad mother.


Get the chicks down once they hatch. No sense disturbing the nest site. Also, chicks have no idea how to use ramps, either, so if you have one leading into your coop, you might need to set up separate accommodations, or just physically go out and bring them in when it's dark or raining.

Ok. Thank you! This chicken has hatched chicks before but not with us. I’d hate to take her away from the babies unless I need to. We will have three of us present to keep an eye on things once the babies hatch so hopefully that helps. And thanks for the insight on the ramps.

 

[Sacri]

A lot of it is up to personal choice I think, but personally I think it's best to have them on ground level as it'll be too hard for the chicks to get up and down when they hatch. I've set up a seperate box and run next to the main coop so that mama can still see the rest of the flock, but once the babies hatch they'll be kept safe. Plus then you don't have to worry about the rest of your flock eating the chick starter!

A separate run sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

 

[nao57]

But isn't it true that some people separate them after a few weeks, rather than right at once?

When I watch the duck raising videos they are talking about separating them after like 6 to 8 weeks; I forgot the exact number. So this must also be done for a different ratio time for chickens also?

I don't know which would be better, to separate them right away or later on also. But its quite an interesting topic to discuss.

I wonder if there's a survival difference also, of staying with the mother or not while growing from very young to older young?

 

[rjhsh]

Hen hatched is always best, just make sure if at ground level there are no ants near by, i'm from TX so its a problem here this time of year, we spray a light insecticide around hens near hatching date

 

[Acre4Me]

We’ve separated the broody into a large brooder box to raise chicks. As it happens, the barn already had a dog door into the run area, so we converted that opening into a pop door, and attached the brooder to this opening -brooder is inside the barn. Once babies are a few days old we let momma into a fenced off portion of the run with her chicks. We don’t let them mingle until the chicks are around 2 weeks old and they are quicker and listen to momma hen really well. We make sure to start the flock introductions supervised bc momma hens hormones are usually still raging and she’ll about attack any chicken that comes near her chicks....so sometimes she (and chicks) need to be separated from the flock after awhile! Usually a momma hens hormones start to wane between 4-6 weeks, and she’ll make it known she’s done mothering them.

overall, I’d separate them From the flock at first, after hatch. Keep them with momma hen. No need to move her until hatch, but you need to be careful that she goes back to her broody nest after her drink/eat/dust bath daily frenzy. Also, need to make sure another chicken doesn’t lay any eggs in her nest or try to take it over.

it is true that chicks can not navigate a ramp,in part bc they don’t follow exactly behind momma hen, and are often left chirping frantically to the side of the ramp. The ramp from the brooder pop door to our run,is a short distance/ and not high. We had to put short blocks, like steps, under And to the sides of the ramp so the chicks could easily follow her in and out of the brooder From any direction.

good luck!