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A lot of people wonder what they should do if their hen Hatches out baby chicks. They wonder:
1- will the mother be able to take care of them on her own.
2- Will the chicks survive in the coop?
3- Should I separate them from the other chickens?
4- Should I just take the babies away from the mother until they get bigger?
Here is what I have learned from my decades of keeping chickens.
I have bought baby chicks from feed stores and also through the mail.
The baby chicks purchased in feed stores and through mail order were hatched in an incubator. They never saw their mother and mama never sat on the eggs or saw them ether. There is no maternal bond that way. It is very different when mama sets on her clutch of eggs and hatches them. The first thing the chicks see and feel is mama. There is a very strong bond between them. A mother hen is a protective, diligent mother.
So when one of my hens sets on eggs and hatches chicks I always leave them together. There are a few important things to consider to make sure all goes well.
Number one is that your coop is plenty big enough.
Two - you will need two shallow water pans - pie tins work great - you can get a couple at a thrift store. Put one on each end of the coop. Remove any deep water tubs or bowls. Baby chicks will get in there and drowned.
Three - The mama hen and her chicks will need a hay pile or nest on the ground in a safe cozy spot. They will not usually jump back up into a nest box to sleep.
Four - Twice a day sprinkle food on the ground for the babies. Mama will teach them how to pick and scratch. Always make sure all your chickens have grit at all times. Crushed oyster shells work really well for grown chickens. They do sell chick grit at Tractor Supply Co. which is ground up very small for the babies. If for whatever reason you don’t have the perfect setup and you feel like you have to remove the babies for their safety, make sure you take mama too. That mother hen will raise and teach the chicks a lot and they are way better off with mama by their side.
There are few things more enjoyable to watch than a mother hen with her little chicks.
You will see what true motherly love is watching a hen care for her little ones.
