[Vonnie]

Hi i'm looking for some advice on how best to treat my new baby chucks and their mums!  As of early yesterday morning the eggs started to hatch and we have now got 6 youngsters all looking adorable.  I know they can survive off the egg contents for approximatly 2 days but what then?  I have the chick crumbs ready and a small water feeder but how do I get them to use them?  At the moment they are cosy in the nesting box of the coop away from our other chucks but at what point should they be encouraged out especially as it is not the most warmest weather!! I have put the small feed and water containers in the nesting area but they don't seem to want to use it.  When I hold it up to where the mums are sitting the mums use it but not the youngsters!! Am i worrying over nothing? Any advice would be great

Vonnie

[Vember]

The mums usually show the chicks what to do

Bit worried about them being in the nest box though Is it on ground level

Hens and babies should be in a separate house with a run attached on ground level so that the mum can decide when she's going to take the babies out


Sarah

[Vonnie]

Hi Vember

Thanks for your reply.  They are in the normal coop off the ground as the mums wouldn't go in the new ground level coop we bought them as soon as they started sitting on the eggs, they just wouldn't settle.  So I now have an empty ground level coop with none of the chucks using it.  If I move them to it now that the eggs have hatched will they reject the babies due to my sent being on them if I move them? God I am so stressed out here........Its worse than having my own children...I am happy to do whatever is best for my chucks. 

[SMD66]

She shouldn't reject the chicks, we moved our broody and chicks after 3 days.  the biggest prob is not getting pecked, mum will be very protective.
The chicks will have trouble with a ramp so they will be better in a ground floor apartment but will need a good amount of wood shavings  in the nest for insulation from the damp/cold.
Mum will show the chicks how to eat and drink, make sure they can't drown in the water though.  Even when weather is cool they will come out a bit but go back to mum when they need a warm

[Vonnie]

Thank you for your help, I will try and move them later today and hope things go well!!!! Arghhhhhhhhh....... Fortunatly our mums will let us move them without too much pecking as we have been handling them every day through the hatching process, hopefully this will mean not too much pain.  Should I put the food inside the coop or outside or in both?
Vonnie

[Kate and her Ducks]

Just remember to handle Mum not the chicks. They can be very protective of them and the chicks can be inadvertently injured by mum if she goes for you and gets them by mistake. I managed to get one of my ducklings bitten by Mum  (hers, not mine) when I rescued it from the pond.

[Vonnie]

Okay now i am worried!!!!! If we have to move them to a ground level coop how do we move them without handling the chicks? should we move the chicks before we move the mums?  We can get the mums out first and then that would mean we can handle to chicks without them being anywhere near.  We can then put the mums back with their babies.  Tell you I am so stressed it's terrible, i m so afraid of doing the wrong thing!!!
Vonnie 

[Kate and her Ducks]

Move mum, the chicks will follow.

[Vonnie]

Hi again, sorry to be a pain!!! I am tying to move them because they are in the nesting box and the only way out is via a high ramp!!! Dont want the baby chucks injuring themselves.  The only way for them to follow would be by going down the ramp!!!
Vonnie

[Kate and her Ducks]

I would just let them do it, they're more resilient than you think (providing you don't mean there is a 5 foot drop!). Make sure they can see mum and they will tumble out to follow her. If it really is too high move mum and then when she is out of the way move the chicks but be very careful as she will get very worked up at being separated.

[Vonnie]

Okidoki,  will give it a go and let you know how it went.  Thanks for your advice, really kind of you to take the time to help
Vonnie

[Sassy]

I was also concerned about whether my incubator hatched chicks would know what to do with the chick crumbs. They dived in as though they had been doing it for years!! They're amazing. Enjoy them they grow so quickly and kate is right they are tougher than you think   

[Foxy]

I am continually moving chicks and broodies around!!! Everyone gets confused (including me!) Anyway, what i have done when movinga broody and newly hatched chicks is popped chicks in a small box and popped them in the new house, preferably when it is dark, then quietly popped mum in, she finds the chicks through their cheeping, because my broodies are used to being handled I have never had a rejection so far.
I find after about 2 days post hatch mum goes into a flurry of activity, kicking shavings around, rosey madly and at this time she will start to encourage the chicks to feed and follow her out of the nestbox. It is natural for broodies to continue to sit on the newly hatched chicks, this is an instinctive way of giving the whole clutch time to hatch and dry, this is why nature has given chicks a ready meal lasting for 2 days! Now aint she clever!!!

[Vonnie]

Well just been to check on my new little ones and their amazing mums only to find that they all seem to be feeding and drinking as per normal.  That is except for one of the chicks.  I am not sure if it is doing very well, it seems plump like the others but it doesn't seem to be able to walk very well, is this sometimes the case with new chicks or should i be concerned? It is one of the later chicks to hatch which makes it 3 ays old now!!!!