Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[joza2210]

Well yesterday I picked up my new black Orpington bantam hen (pics a week today) and she I lovely ! Picking some more chooks up tomorrow ...

But my silkie has been sat on fertile eggs , 3 weeks on thursday , so when they hatch do I take the chicks away and put them under a lamp ? (and how long for) or do I just leave them ? Thanks

Josh

[Patricia W]

Joza - I'm no expert. But I know you can't leave chicks with the flock. Mum and babies need separate accommodation. But others will give you more advice

 

Tricia

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Josh, is your silkie in her own warm & protected coop & run, if so I'd have thought she should be fine with the chicks as long as you supply her with food & water suitable for the babies, and keep them protected from the elements.

 

Somebody with more experience of hatching at this time of year will be along soon & the mods will probably move this post to hatching.

 

Good luck with your little ones and congrats on your newbies.

 

Sha x

[joza2210]

She is in the big coop with all the hens ... I think I will take the chicks out and put them under a lamp ... But will my silkie (the mum) get upset or annoyed ?

[Redwing]

ummm did you research this first?

[Egluntyne]

Why take them away from their mother. She will do all the looking after!

 

You must provide them with their own accommodation though, otherwise you may have a disaster on your hands.

 

Looks as if you are going to have your work cut out managing this and introductiions too.

[joza2210]

Right ok so she is in the big run now with all the other hens so do I move the hen and chicks when they hatch or do I move her now with the eggs ?

[Egluntyne]

Move her now with the eggs I'd say, so that she is undisturbed. Do it when she goes for her comfort break or at night.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Josh, the mum will be extremely protective of her young once they hatch, really you should have separated her when she first went broody.

 

Correct me if I'm talking out of my hat please all you experienced bods...........

 

Move that little girl into her own coop & run with her eggs with as little disturbance as is possible...when she is asleep would probably be the best time........you don't want her to lose interest at this late stage, but the safety of the little ones needs to weighed up against the risks.

 

If possible move her into a shed or garage so they are all as protected as possible, the cold & rain won't do the little ones any good at all. Once they are big enough and the weather improves sufficiently, they can go back outside, but still separate from the rest of the flock, they will need to be almost fully grown before they will be strong enough to withstand any pecking order arguments from the big girls, mum will usually be ready to leave them before this stage & will probably need to go back with the main flock to regain any condition she has lost during her broody period.

 

Josh, can I just ask why you let her go broody if you planned to put the chicks under a lamp, surely the whole magic of the process is seeing the mum teaching the little ones all she knows about the world? I know many people use incubators to increase their flock etc, where they take the place of the broody, and that is a different ball game all together.

 

Sha x

[Lewis]

Ditto to the above - a bit more reading and research would have been good before setting the eggs

 

I'd move her and the eggs at night so she's sleepy and hopefully won't be too disturbed.

Its good to have a brooder and heat lamp ready for them just incase, but best to keep her with them

 

The chicks will then stay with her for a few weeks (8ish) until they are ready to leave her - she can then be slowly integrated into the flock, and the chicks integrated at 20 weeks.

 

Have you got food ready for them? and what are you planning to do with the cockerels?

[tom123]

Should have thought about this first

 

Can't add anything to the great advice given.

 

Good luck

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Any news Josh..............

 

Sha x