can i keep a hen with chicks in a coop with other chickens????

[jed2012]

i've been wondering if its alright to keep a hen and chicks in a coop with other chickens. is that alright? or do i need to seperate them?

 

[yorklady]

I have read differing views on this. Some say the mama hen protects the chicks but just the other day on one of the chicken blogs that I subscribe to the owner was traumatized because hens attacked one of the babies and killed it. I would tend to err on the side of safety and keep the broody and baby chicks seperated from the others.

 

[jed2012]

i have a buff orpington rooster. i heard buff orpington roosters kill babies. is that true?

 

[Judy]

I have had about 6 broodies raise their chicks in with the flock; I've never done it separately. As far as I know, no chick has ever been killed by other hens or a rooster. Mostly my roos ignore the chicks, but I've read they sometimes help with the babies.

I'm sure that hens do sometimes go after another hen's chicks; I've just never seen it. I have seen the mamas chase other hens away from her chicks, though. I get the impression this is the way people have historically done things. I have a neighbor who has a hen that will go off in the woods to set her eggs, then bring her 2 or 3 day old chicks back to the flock with her.

Buff Orps are usually considered docile chickens who are easily bullied. I'd be surprised if Buff Orp roos tended to kill chicks -- but then, chickens are individuals, and there is no predicting what one particular chicken will do.

 

[crayon]

Well we had a BR hatch 2 babies this year and we also added 12 babies to our flock. The BR was super protective of the chicks and they hatched in the coop and we never really played with them- she taught them how to eat, hunt, dig in the dirt, drink water, sleep, stay safe. She kept them very safe from our 2 roosters and all the grumpy hens. I would honestly be more concerned about other hens than roosters- hens can be quite bitchy.

But we had no problems. We moved our 12 purchased babies into the coop at about 9 weeks and had no major issues either. A bit of pecking order, but that is typical.

All of our chickens are free-range. The 2 babies that hatched were free-ranged from birth. We never got in the way- they know what they are doing.

 

[crayon]

My rooster did step in with the babies too once they got about 5 weeks- I think mama needed a break, or they needed a lesson from "daddy".... Either way- he was totally on baby duty (about the time they started running across the yard then freaking out because they lost sight of mama- she stuck them with the rooster for half a day! It was a hoot!

 

[CindyJeann]

My broody does such a good job protecting her chicks that she will steal other hen's chicks. I guess she thinks all babies belong to her. Three times she has been broody this year and raised all three sets of babies. My avatar is of her and her second batch.

 

[jed2012]

thanx everyone! i've gotten GRREAT information!!! thanx SO much! also, i have buff orpingtons, rirs, and golden sex links. if one of my bo's went broody, would she be a protective mother?

 

[bakerjw]

A lot depends on the flock dynamics. I have 2 flocks. One has 6 red sex links, one mutt, and 4 white rock hens. They have a very tight pecking order and would be the least tolerant of new arrivals. The other large flock Has had several infusions of teen chicks this year and they really don't care one way or the other what happens. They're like, "New chicks? meh... Got some food?"

In the morning I open the door and it's 3 year old hens and roos bailing out with 2 year olds, 1 years olds, this springs older chicks, and the latest 2 week old chicks. They really live and let live.

 

[CindyJeann]

thanx everyone! i've gotten GRREAT information!!! thanx SO much! also, i have buff orpingtons, rirs, and golden sex links. if one of my bo's went broody, would she be a protective mother?

There really isn't any way to know untill you see it. Every bird is different.