When do you separate the mother hen from her nine baby chicks?

[tobit]

Guys what do you think I should do, I had my broody and chicks (Cochin bantam roo & LSW bantam roo) in a pen, they're 6.5 weeks old, the momma hen and SLW chick kept pecking and chasing each other, seeing as the chicks are still pretty small is quite dangerous for them, so I put the momma hen back with her original flock (of 2 where she got bullied a bit) and the chicks seem fine about it but she keeps calling! What do you guys think is bet to do in tho situation, remembering that the chicks' safety is number one priority??

 

[chyna]

I had to separate mom from her 3 baby silkies because she is very mean to them. Now she paces near the pen and calls to them. It breaks my heart but they can not be put together. She was a good mother for a week.

 

[mellogirl]

How do you let the mama decide when she's done with her babies? This evening my mama decided to go into the big coop ( I separated the babies and mama when they were born bc my big coop is very big and not baby proof) tonight she wanted to be with the other chickens I guess. When I grabbed her out and put her in the smaller coop with the babies she started chasing them around and pecking them! Why is she doing this? The babies were born on Memorial Day so they're about 6 weeks old. I live in CA so the low tonight will be 76. Do you think the babies will be ok without a heat lamp? They all have their big feathers. Except for 1 which is half the size as the other chicks. It's kind of the runt. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[donrae]

How do you let the mama decide when she's done with her babies? This evening my mama decided to go into the big coop ( I separated the babies and mama when they were born bc my big coop is very big and not baby proof) tonight she wanted to be with the other chickens I guess. When I grabbed her out and put her in the smaller coop with the babies she started chasing them around and pecking them! Why is she doing this? The babies were born on Memorial Day so they're about 6 weeks old. I live in CA so the low tonight will be 76. Do you think the babies will be ok without a heat lamp? They all have their big feathers. Except for 1 which is half the size as the other chicks. It's kind of the runt. Any help will be appreciated.

At 6 weeks the chicks are well able to be weaned. You can't force momma to continue to take care of them. In the larger coop, was she roosting? If so, let the littles in with her and she'll teach them to roost. If she wasn't, she can brood them on the ground in the main coop just as well as in the smaller coop.

 

[mellogirl]

Mama was roosting so I put eggs under her and she hatched them. She's been a great mama until tonight when she was chasing and pecking them.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

With such things of Nature, Momma Knows Best when to turn them out. In saying that, other than for warmth the chicks are independent on their own. Most will need the hens attention for about two weeks as to keep warm, learn the ropes and for security (with security being a questionable statement). They may run beside her for weeks but chickens learn naturally, by instinct, and fairly quickly.

Think about it.....incubating and hatching an egg without a hen/mother is done all the time! The newborn chick instinctively knows how to peck and find water after dipping its beak in water only once. From then on the chick will feed and drink without any intervention by momma hen or human. A heat source is all that is really needed until they develop the ability "feathers" to sustain their own body heat.

Birds are not like humans in which we must change diapers, baby bottles, give lots of attentions......... My incubated chicks go into the brooder (their security and warmth) 12 hours after being hatched, from there I keep the water and chick starter clean and full and go on my merry way for 23 hours and 45 minutes of the day. Errrrr, other than to admire the little Chickie's. LOL

 

[RumAndCoconuts]

Adorable. Nice to have a variety of colours!

 

[Chookievcookie]

How can you integrate chicks into flock if they need different food?

 

[tobit]

You can put the whole flock on chick starter crumbs (not permanently) until they can eat adult feed, although having a whole flock on chick crumbs can be quite expensive but if you have the $$$ then go for it (only referring to the feed situation - not te adult&chicks together situation)

 

[AmericanMom]

How can you integrate chicks into flock if they need different food?

Chicks don't actually need different food... My chicks, all my chicks, get the same feed at the adults...Flock raiser... Momma breaks up the pellets when they first start eating but by 3-4 weeks they can manage by themselves. She has also taught them to forage and where the water is. I have quit using chick starter almost 5 months ago and I have a nice big flock of 50+ hens, roosters and chicks