first time with hatchlings

[mzgarden]

While we've had chickens for a while, we haven't normally had chicks hatched here.  That being said, we had a girl hatch a couple chicks. 

We moved her to our brooder box where she hatched them out.  We added the fenced chick run to the box and she's happily bring her chicks out during the day and back in at night.  I've put pictures below so you can get an idea of the set up.  The box itself is 11'x3' with a sliding door at one end.  The fenced run is another 8'x3' and fits up to the door opening with a ramp.

Question -- how long should we keep her contained in the fenced run?  We have a free range flock and a barn cat.  Momma has displayed good protection behavior when another chicken has approached her fenced run, but I don't want to put them out with the flock too early and stress them.

When we do remove the fenced run, it would only be during the day and the brooder box would remain open so she could herd them inside at night.

   

[Tim Horton]

With the words you use being free range, and barn cat, this raises all kinds of alarms with me, about small chicks.

Our experience... We had 7 geese hatch last spring. Not letting them out until they were about the size of robins. Still they found every nook and cranny to escape from, we lost 2 in the process. When they were about the size of a banty they still got out occasionally. We managed to rescue them all.

When we have had chicks they are at least half grown before we let them out. We have enough barn space to do that, maybe not optimum space, but space to do it OK.

Good luck.

[mzgarden]

Tim Horton, thanks. Usually we buy our chicks so there's no Momma to protect them. In that case, we keep them contained and visible to, but away from, the rest of the flock. I wasn't sure in this case, if having a Momma would make a difference. Appreciate you sharing your experiences.

[Bear Foot Farm]

I'd keep them in until they are fully feathered at least

[countrymom22]

Young chicks need to be protected from the flock until they are fully feathered out and then some. I go by the size of the pullets. And the number of hens in the flock. You don't want the hens ganging up on the chicks, and momma may not be able to defend all of them adequately at the same time. Would make for a very stressed out family.

How many chicks hatched?

Good luck with them!

[mzgarden]

countrymom22, thanks. She hatched out 2 and now we have another gal that's been sitting on eggs for 8 days now so we might be repeating this process in a couple weeks. The chicks are growing and beginning to feather out. The wire run added to the brooder box gives them a dirt floor to scratch and peck around in and opening the back barn door allows them to get some sunlight.

[Deleted]

This makes it our fifth year for raising chickens and ducks.
In previous years we would gather the eggs and put them in the incubator to hatch out.
We would then raise them in the spare bathroom / tub until they were feathered out.

This year we had four hens and a duck that wanted to go broody, we decided to let them be the mamas and do their thing.

The first two shared a nesting box (milk crate) in the coop and hatched out 10 chicks between them.

And each night the mamas would take the babies back to the coop.



The other two had 2 and 3 chicks apiece.
Both of them made their nests in the weed patch and hatched out there babies.
They have yet to make it back to the coop, I think I'm going to have a problem getting them back in the coop at night.

The duck also made her nest in weed patch and hatched out six babies.



And she goes back to the coop with the babies every night.

The babies have a bit of a problem jumping up into the coop so I have to help them.

Out for their first walk.

The ducks just been five days old are already paddling across the pond.

So far the big birds have not bothered the babies at all.

Mom and the babies come up on the deck and tap on the door looking for a snack.

[feather]

@thewolf, great pictures and video. The chicken and chicks standing at your patio door, looking so very expectant as if to say, we are here and we want our treat.

[mzgarden]

@thewolf, thank you. Our new chicks are feathering out and growing very well. I think I'm going to take the run off their brooder coop and let Momma take them out. She's horribly antsy to get out so I think 20 days will be day 1 for chicks to explore under the watchful eye and wing of Momma.

Thanks to everyone for perspective.

[mzgarden]

Well, that was a fail. I removed the wire run from the brooder box and the other chickens went after Momma. I had to put the run back on. Oh well, we'll try again when the chicks are bigger.