[babaloo151070]

Hi people,

Yesterday my broody light Sussex winnie hatched six mix pure bread chicks.
She is my only hen as my Other died six weeks ago due to a prolapse from an extremely large egg.

My question is what should I do now. Are the chicks safe just to stay there with mum as I don't have access to a lamp. What about food and water for the Chicks do I put that in the coop or will they come outside for it and if so when will this be.

I don't want any halm to come to them.

[Jo57]

Winnie will take care of them. Have chick crumb and water nearby and she she will bring them to it and show them how to eat and drink. It is lovely to watch. I'm sure there will be much more detailed advice. I do know they don't need to eat immediately as the nourishment from egg lasts awhile. Good luck.

[bantam novice]

I agree with Jo57 here, Winnie will look after her chicks and show them where the food and drink is.   I kept food and drink in the coop for the first couple of weeks then put it outside in the run but that may not be best practice.   It would be lovely if we could see some pics  .  Winne will let you know when she is fed up with looking after them but as she is the only "grown up" you have at the moment they may well stay together.

[Casey76]

First of all... don't panic

Chicks don't need anything to eat or drink for the first 48-72 hours, as they absorb the remainder of the yolk, so you have some time to do last minute things.

Have you already got a supply of chick crumbs?  If not, they you will need to buy some, as layers pellets (apart from being too big) don't have the correct ratio of nutrients for chicks.

For water you will need a fairly flat dish, and fill it with pebbles or marbles so that the chicks can't accidentally fall in and drown (and a chick can drown in a very shallow amout of water!)  If you have a special chick waterer, you will also need to put pebbles in your normal waterer for the hen, just in case your chicks prefer to drink out of the same recepticle as their mum.

For the moment, you can have food and water in the actual house, but as soon as mum starts bringing the chicks outside all day, remove the food and water from the house (so not to encourage vermin).

Does your broody coop have a flat access to the grass, or is there a ramp?  If there is a ramp, I'd just watch the first few days when mum goes to bed, just to make sure all the chicks can negotiate the ramp.  They soon pick it up though, and will be jumping off the top in no time

[splash101]

mine are 4 weeks old and broody mum has started cutting the apron strings.
She started laying again 2 days ago, have to keep remembering to not eat her eggs as she is still eating chick crumb (to her disgust)

Winnie may bring them out today   she will look after them.  Enjoy! they grow so quickly

[Jo57]

I had no idea should not eat eggs if they are eating chick crumb...thank goodness Minnie not started laying yet. Why shouldn't we eat the eggs?

[grinling]

Take away the layer pellets, mum will also eat chick crumb.

[splash101]

Only if they are medicated chick crumbs. I couldnt get hold of any non medicated so i didnt have much choice.

[Jo57]

Ahh. I'll read packet more carefully as did not realise there were different sorts!

[babaloo151070]

Hi everyone thank you soooo much for your advise. I will upload some photos later today. Five out the six eggs hatched and if I've done my sexing right three of those are boys. That's sad for me as I can't keep the boys due to where I live and was hoping to keep them all if they were all girls.
Has anyone very introduced a chick to a hen with her own newly hatched batch.  Am contemplating slipping in two female chicks if I can get hold of them today to make up for the ones I'm going to loose.

[Casey76]

Yes, do it at night, when the mum is sleepy.

Take out one chick, and slip the new one under her wing.  Repeat as needed.

In the morning watch carefully for a while to ensure she doesn't reject the new ones.

Did you have auto sexing breeds to tell which were boys at hatching?

[joyfull]

for those wanting to feed un-medicated feed over here in the uk then get either organic or smallholder range chick crumb and an grower/rearer. If you are in any doubt look to see if the pack says ACS on it - if it does then it has anti coccidiosis supplement added to it and is not suitable for laying hens.