I have a banty mother hen with 13 babies (all pullets I bought at the store, it should have been 2 hens raising them but one was nasty and pecked the babies so I threw her out)
They are 2 and 3 weeks old and mostly sleep under her but with so many I don't think there is enough room under her. I made her a "brooder" with a heat light, a heat rock and a feather duster over the heat rock for those who don't fit under her. She does not like the heat light, I think because it is bright at night and she wants to sleep. I would like to intergrate them into the flock, they have free-ranged together without any problems, trying to catch them and get them up the ramp at night is insane and takes about an hour. I want them happy and safe so I have let them loose twice.
When is it safe to let them sleep without a heat lamp over them? What if they all can't fit under her, will some sleep out, then when cold shove untill it gets under her to get warm? I know they are going to be safe with the other hens, I just want them in the same place so I can train them to go inot the coop and I won't have to play hide and seek every night. Thanks!!!!
They are 2 and 3 weeks old and mostly sleep under her but with so many I don't think there is enough room under her. I made her a "brooder" with a heat light, a heat rock and a feather duster over the heat rock for those who don't fit under her. She does not like the heat light, I think because it is bright at night and she wants to sleep. I would like to intergrate them into the flock, they have free-ranged together without any problems, trying to catch them and get them up the ramp at night is insane and takes about an hour. I want them happy and safe so I have let them loose twice.
When is it safe to let them sleep without a heat lamp over them? What if they all can't fit under her, will some sleep out, then when cold shove untill it gets under her to get warm? I know they are going to be safe with the other hens, I just want them in the same place so I can train them to go inot the coop and I won't have to play hide and seek every night. Thanks!!!!
