Winter, a mom and her three adopted chicks-HELP!

[leasmom]

Okay, I have to explain it. I have two coops right now, one is a rabbit hutch with the top with gating all round and a door, the floor too is gating, which helps because the poops drops to the bottom mostly. Two tarps cover it and I have one corner of it completely blocked off by the tarp on the side while the other is tarp-free for sun and for them to be able to see out and in the front is also the gating where they can see out. We have it blocked off from the bottom because at the bottom we have a pullet that was being attacked because of her age by the older pullets and adults. She is by herself, and she has shelter from rain underneath the hutch because of the tarps at the top and she has a run that is attached to it so she can run about, its enclosed.

The second coop is my winter coop and it has two doors, one that is enclosed and goes directly into our enclosed and larger chicken run. The coop has two long perching areas on top, a window, and a nesting area, along with two places off from the perches they can just sit.

My problem is that its starting to get cold and I have a mom who adopted three little chicks who are only about 2 wks old. Right now they are all running underneath her. I can't put her and her chicks into the winter coop and they won't be anywhere near ready to go in there with the older ones for a few months, what do I do? The top part like I said has air coming in from all sides except that one corner that the tarp covers. I can eventually move them down to the bottom where they can dig in with lots of wood shavings but it would still be completely open to the elements. And I don't trust the older ones around the babies, because I've seen how they act towards my pullet that I had to separate. I need help because its getting pretty cold at night.

 

[KrisRose]

Can you make an area for the pullet in the winter coop?
I put dropping boards under my roosts and then enclosed underneath it with chicken wire.
Give the pullet a week or 2 and then put her with the adults. Then move mom and chicks in and hope for a warm September and October.

 

[leasmom]

Yeah, I'm gonna move her over in about two weeks or so. She just stares over at them like she wants to be with them so badly. She was getting attacked so badly that I had to rescue her but I think she'll be ready soon cause she will be about 11-12 wks then.

The mom and the babies...can you explain that again. Maybe its cause I haven't had any coffee but can you explain your suggestion again?

 

[KrisRose]

Ha- I understand the lack of caffeine!
Under your roosts-or perches- in your winter coop, do you have space to make a contained area?? I used the frame work for my roosts to put in plywood. This plywood is both a droppings board for the roost and the ceiling for a contained area below it. It does'nt have to be that strong because it will just contain chickens. Put the pullet in this contained area first so she and the adults can meet and greet with the chicken wire separating them. After a couple of weeks put her in with the adults, she will be put in her place by all the other chickens but it should'nt be to bad.
Then move Mom and chicks into this contained space, I call mine the "condo".

 

[silkiechicken]

Just 3 chicks at already 2 weeks old, I wouldn't worry about them. If the mother hen is a good, she should be able to defend just 3 chicks from the others and the little ones will know to stay with mommy to be safe. I find integration with baby chicks with a mom is a breeze as nobody in my flocks mess with a mom. Baby and mom will all be roosting with the adults at 4-6 weeks old.

 

[leasmom]

really...thats good to hear. I'm glad to know that. I almost put the pullet in with them today cause she just looks so lonely though she is right next to them when they are in their run and she's in hers. She watches everything they do esp. my RIR like her, she watches her intently. So, maybe instead of waiting two weeks I can put her in with them and see how they react for the third meeting between them. She's much bigger now because we had four full days of rain and she did nothing else but eat and looks like a totally different chicken. And then before it gets too cold and they are big enough to not slip through the fencing, I'll put them with the older ones.

Oh, I just checked out the coop, there isn't any room to separate them from the rest because its too narrow. Maybe the next time I make a coop I should incorporate an area just for that just in case I get more babies near winter time.

Thanks.