Moving Newly Hatched Chicks?

[Robin_Hood]

Hello all,
My broody sussex light just hatched out 7 chicks this morning! Only issue is that her nest is in a barrel which is half full of sawdust, so there is no way for the chicks to leave (and also difficult to place water dishes in, due to space and the mother's defensive instincts)
Should I attempt to move them all or just wait a while til they are big enough to leap out?
Thanks!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

They probably won't come out from under her for a couple days. My last batch I waited to move until they were about a week old but they were able to get food and water in the area they were in. Do you have a photo of the barrel, etc?

 

[Robin_Hood]

They probably won't come out from under her for a couple days. My last batch I waited to move until they were about a week old but they were able to get food and water in the area they were in. Do you have a photo of the barrel, etc?

They were out earlier for a bit and had a little bit of food, but I understand they are fine without food or water for the first day or so. Here is the barrel; there is enough space for a water dish, but mother hen pecks indiscriminately at anything too close & it ends up getting spilled very quickly.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you have a few bricks to spare, you could use them to build a couple steps inside the barrel. Then from there, a wide piece of scrap wood to create a ramp to ground level, just be mindful that it's not too steep so it's easy for chicks to navigate.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Do you have a safe place to more her to? I would just move her. Maybe get some leather gloves and someone to help you so you can get her and the chicks in one go.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They were out earlier for a bit and had a little bit of food, but I understand they are fine without food or water for the first day or so.

They can go 72 hours before they need to eat or drink because they absorb the yolk before they hatch. That's why they can be shipped in the mail. It doesn't hurt the to eat or drink earlier, but they don't have to.

Should I attempt to move them all or just wait a while til they are big enough to leap out?

Usually I say let Mama take care of it, but not in your case. That looks too high for the chicks to be able to get out. I think you need to take the chicks out. With the broody protecting her chicks like that (good broody) she will almost certainly attack you if you start grabbing her chicks. What I'd do is take the broody out first and lock her up so she can't attack you, then take the chicks out. Put the chicks in a shoebox with a lid so you can carry them.

Where do you want the broody and the chicks to sleep? If it is in the area where that barrel is, just turn the chicks loose where the broody hen can see them and then turn the broody hen loose. She should take them back to that area to sleep when it gets dark. If you want them to sleep somewhere else, lock the broody and chicks in there for two nights and three days. She should take them in there to sleep when it gets dark after you let them out.

I killed a chick by picking up a broody hen. The chick had crawled under her wing and I crushed it when I picked her up. So when you pick her up, be careful. I guarantee you that is not a good feeling.

 

[Robin_Hood]

They can go 72 hours before they need to eat or drink because they absorb the yolk before they hatch. That's why they can be shipped in the mail. It doesn't hurt the to eat or drink earlier, but they don't have to.


Usually I say let Mama take care of it, but not in your case. That looks too high for the chicks to be able to get out. I think you need to take the chicks out. With the broody protecting her chicks like that (good broody) she will almost certainly attack you if you start grabbing her chicks. What I'd do is take the broody out first and lock her up so she can't attack you, then take the chicks out. Put the chicks in a shoebox with a lid so you can carry them.

Where do you want the broody and the chicks to sleep? If it is in the area where that barrel is, just turn the chicks loose where the broody hen can see them and then turn the broody hen loose. She should take them back to that area to sleep when it gets dark. If you want them to sleep somewhere else, lock the broody and chicks in there for two nights and three days. She should take them in there to sleep when it gets dark after you let them out.

I killed a chick by picking up a broody hen. The chick had crawled under her wing and I crushed it when I picked her up. So when you pick her up, be careful. I guarantee you that is not a good feeli

They can go 72 hours before they need to eat or drink because they absorb the yolk before they hatch. That's why they can be shipped in the mail. It doesn't hurt the to eat or drink earlier, but they don't have to.


Usually I say let Mama take care of it, but not in your case. That looks too high for the chicks to be able to get out. I think you need to take the chicks out. With the broody protecting her chicks like that (good broody) she will almost certainly attack you if you start grabbing her chicks. What I'd do is take the broody out first and lock her up so she can't attack you, then take the chicks out. Put the chicks in a shoebox with a lid so you can carry them.

Where do you want the broody and the chicks to sleep? If it is in the area where that barrel is, just turn the chicks loose where the broody hen can see them and then turn the broody hen loose. She should take them back to that area to sleep when it gets dark. If you want them to sleep somewhere else, lock the broody and chicks in there for two nights and three days. She should take them in there to sleep when it gets dark after you let them out.

I killed a chick by picking up a broody hen. The chick had crawled under her wing and I crushed it when I picked her up. So when you pick her up, be careful. I guarantee you that is not a good feeling.

thanks for your reply; yes looks like I'll have to move her. What you described is what I'm worried about as it's such a tight space and very difficult to grab a hen at the best of times without her flailing around!

 

[Ridgerunner]

At night is when I'd be especially concerned about a chick being under her wing so just grabbing her could be risky. I'd probably try during the day when I could see and expect her to fly out of there. Wear long pants to protect your legs and use a fishing net to try to catch her, then remove the chicks. At the end of the day it will probably be easier than either of us expect but you don't want to hurt a chick. Or yourself.

 

[Robin_Hood]

At night is when I'd be especially concerned about a chick being under her wing so just grabbing her could be risky. I'd probably try during the day when I could see and expect her to fly out of there. Wear long pants to protect your legs and use a fishing net to try to catch her, then remove the chicks. At the end of the day it will probably be easier than either of us expect but you don't want to hurt a chick. Or yourself.

I got them all moved successfully with someone else's assistance, no casualties! (one chick plummeted about 4 feet but was unscathed) Also turns out there are eight little ones, 4 white and 4 brown
Thanks for your response!