Wow! Just Wow! So Amazing!

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You do have a point... ahh I'm too scared to do it..

But I know it would be best... it just seems cruel to put them outside when it looks more like December than October...

 

[eggsrcool]

Thank you very much for sharing a wonderful story!!

I hope they are hens! Good luck and well done!

 

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Thank you!

 

[PortageGirl]

Yeah, leave them inside if you can, or in a seperate area of the coop if you have room to make a second area. If you put her out where other hens (or hen? do you have only the two?) can get to them, watch them very VERY carefully... it's best to have them in a fenced off protected section so other hens can't peck them till they're very accustomed to them. Other birds can kill, hurt or even blind them really fast. Once they are used to having them around moving fast and making their peep peeps, they are not as likely to jump on them so fast.

I'm not saying Don't mix them, it's usually ok to do so, just let them figure out they're not 'prey' first. Consider how fast they dart in to grab treats away from each other if you toss them treats, let them figure out they're not 'treats'... hope that makes sense.

 

[Hopefully]

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Thanks for the advice

I am definitely keeping them in. Like I said, they're the size of miniature golf balls. It's too muddy outside, there are too many puddles, and way too windy. I'm going to wait until they can take the weather better. My other hen is missing

She never ever leaves the yard. She must have left while it was storming... I have no idea what could have happened to her but that's also why mama hen and chicks are not going outside.

Do you think mama hen will be fine staying in the nest 24/7? The chicks, of course, will... but I don't think Mama wants to.. that's all I have to figure out now

 

[wildorchid053]

she can certainly be in a cage for a few days.. at least she is safe.. when the weather gets better let them out together.. just watch your other pets to make sure they don't get hurt

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Are they in one of those big guinea pig cages, with the plastic bottom & wire top? About 18 X 36" or so? Then they should be fine, if not perfectly content, until the weather improves. As long as they have food & water available they'll survive. Mama probably wants to get out and take a dust bath and take her chicks out to explore but she'll just have to wait until it's a bit drier.

 

[lilcrow]

Are you saying you don't have any kind of shelter for your hen, or just nothing separate from the others? I've had to come up with some not so wonderful set ups, but they do the job for temporary shelters. I went to Walmart and got some of those plastic airline transport carriers for pets. They have way to much ventilation so I closed it up with duct tape and sheet plastic so there wouldn't be any drafts, filled the bottom with pine shavings and it really isn't all that bad. They've stayed quite warm and toasty. I cover the front at night with an old blanket and so far everyone has done just fine. Mind you, this is only until my coops are finished and I don't like having to do this, but in your case for your little hen it might be just perfect for her.
If you're in Ohio, I understand not wanting your hen out in this stuff. I live here too, and I HATE this weather

Can I be more emphatic? and I just heard this morning that we broke a record for the coldest daytime high temperature. It would have to do this at a time when your little hen is trying to care for her first babies and I'm not prepared. I'm building coops like crazy, but don't have them done yet and the weather isn't helping.

I'll bet if you give your little gal a minimum of shelter, she will be so much happier outside and she instinctively knows what her babies need.

 

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Yeah, that kind of cage. Once it gets drier, they'll be back outside. It's just that the weather is pretty funky right now. I do let her get out of the cage and she shakes her feathers, stretches, and goes back in.

I gave her some bread, and she's having a hard time getting food in with those feisty little chickies around! First she tore up pieces of bread and put it in their mouth and then tried to eat herself... but they kept tearing the food from her beak so she had to move extra fast to get the bread in. Is that normal? They kept stealing the food from her, as if to say hey! You're supposed to be feeding me--not yourself!

lol
They also drank some water today, every once in a while they go under her wings but they seem more interested in exploring the cage.

 

[Hopefully]

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I have my hen inside in a little nest area I made for her in a spare guinea pig cage. I'm in CA but the weather surprised us! One day it was sunny and in the 80s.. then yesterday we had a huge rainstorm! It was crazy. Thanks for the advice, how big are the carriers? I filled the bottom of the guinea pig cage (aka nest) with Carefresh bedding and Timothy hay. My hen has arranged it around a bit so it's messy inside but just the way she likes it. Then I have water in one corner and food sprinkled around so that they can forage. I'll try to post a picture of it on here soon so you can get a good idea of what I'm trying to describe

I'm going to leave the cage door open, so my hen can get in and out whenever. She goes out but for less than a few seconds, she doesn't want to be away from her chicks too long.