The new Cane Sisters

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Love the pictures of Sola and her chicks. Your other newbies are going to be pretty.

 

[lesa]

So sorry to hear of the little ones that didn't make it. Mother nature can be a cruel mistress...I love it that you have babies the "natural" way. I hope someday, I have that chance. Looking forward to getting my chicks outside tomorrow. I recommend mail order chicks. I know it seems like it could be a bad idea... but I have had nothing but good luck with mine. I am on my third batch and have never lost a chick. McMurray Hatchery and Cackle are both very good. I will let you know how many turn out to be roosters in this batch. Been lucky the first two times. Enjoy your wonderful barnyard of chickens!

 

[MontyJ]

Dang they're growing fast! Have the newest fuzzies been out with momma yet?

 

[canesisters]

They spend the day in the 'nursery' (2'x8' space under the roost & poo shelf) and I let them have the coop for a few hours in the afternoon. To be honest, that's more so that I can clean up the small area - Mama Sola is TRASHING it trying to teach them to scratch and such.
Nova (still on the nest) has yesterday's hatchling and today's new puffy with her still. I'll sneak them in with Sola at night so they wake up with her. Nova's got 2 more eggs to go - and then she'll get a ground level nest of her own.
I'm not real sure what exactly to do with them once they've all hatched. I'm scared to let them just be loose with the flock. My roo has become a bit of a nasty brat - and 5 other adult hens could be trouble... not to mention all the steps they'd have to try and contend with.
Sort of wondering if I could move the Mamas and babies to the tractor and put Lido and Benzo in the nursery for a while...

 

[bj taylor]

canesisters you've got a lot going on. my mama isn't at the top of the social ladder, but she held her own with the rooster and more dominant hens. not only that, she fended off the 12 older chicks that were running amuck. they're about 2 1/2 wks old now & they're just part of the gang. admittedly she only had two to watch out for.

 

[canesisters]

Yeah, the broodies really caught me off guard. I was prepared to raise up a few chicks in the tractor and then introduce them to the coop - you know, a nice orderly procession.... Get to about 4months old in the tractor over near the barn (where the electricity is) - then a week or two in the tractor right up against the coop doing the meet and greet thing - then in with the 'big kids'. But having mamas and babies in the middle of it all is upsetting the apple cart.
Here is the 'nursery' that the mamas are in right now.
The end with Sola and the babies:

The end with Nova and the eggs:

And the steps the babies will have to deal with once they are loose:

I'm thinking that the best answer might be to set up a nest in the bottom of the tractor and move 1 mama and all the surviving hatchlings in with Lido and Benzo. The space in the bottom is 3'x10'. So.... plenty of room - for now....

What do you think??

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

I think you will be amazed! Mommas will hold their own even if they are not at the top of the pecking order. And the last time we had a broody hatch one, that baby was out of the nest after a few days and Momma had her getting up to the roosting pole 4ft off the ground within a week.

I bet those steps will be easy breezy.

Love your chicken tractor by the way!