young chicks and overhead protection

Normally I always give my young birds that I grow out, overhead protection till they're 4 months old. In this case I have a broody hen who I would love to give some newly hatched chicks to (I have had success with giving live chicks to broody hens without any problems). They would be separated but within view of the rest of the flock for 2 -3 weeks but after that when I let them out, they will not have overhead protection as she goes about the yard and they go with her. We have ravens, osprey, red tail hawks, etc. who normally leave our big birds alone. Would these 3 week old chicks be at risk even if they're with the hen as they go about the yard? Coop, Hidden and Cindi, these are not your chicks just to let you know!

Love being a part of this forum and having the support and shared experience of other members. Thanks everyone.

Yes, they will be at risk. I've seen a hawk fly off with a chick, still peeping as it disappeared over the sea, mum clamouring in its wake.

If they're with your main flock and the flock includes a rooster (or several), they'll have some protection, but are still at risk.

We keep our mums in separate smaller (~15' square)runs, with fishing line webbed across overhead, and lots of old CDs cut into wedges (5 or so per CD), pierced at the pointy end and hung from the fishing line. The reflection seems to do a great job of repelling hawks - we haven't lost one yet this year, since beefing up the CD hanging-stock.

we had a problem with magpies taking chicks and DUCKLINGS! they took some really big babies too.

ipf wrote:Yes, they will be at risk. I've seen a hawk fly off with a chick, still peeping as it disappeared over the sea, mum clamouring in its wake.

If they're with your main flock and the flock includes a rooster (or several), they'll have some protection, but are still at risk.

We keep our mums in separate smaller (~15' square)runs, with fishing line webbed across overhead, and lots of old CDs cut into wedges (5 or so per CD), pierced at the pointy end and hung from the fishing line. The reflection seems to do a great job of repelling hawks - we haven't lost one yet this year, since beefing up the CD hanging-stock.

IPF, do you think your reflecty retardant would work on ravens?

Ravens aren't a real problem here, so I don't know. Sure works for hawks!

Ravens are very clever. Still, it's worth doing your own experiment. Old CDs are pretty cheap. . . .

i never use overhead netting and we get lots of hawks here. I lose a few now and then but i think they are happer now that they get unlimited acess to everything here. But on my property there is lots of trees and hedges for them to run to. Hope this helps.

Thanks you guys. I decided to 'break brood' and not give her the babies. A separate pen with netting, cd's, etc. is just not an option at this point. Poor girl. She so wants some chicks but I'd be horrified to see a bird flying off with one of the little ones that I felt like I set up for a terrible fate.

Appreciate your input.

Oh thanks, Chicory, now last night you gave me a bad dream. I dreamed I was outside the chicken yard looking in and a raven, they are huge here, flew onto the top of the buckeye coop and was watching all the one month old chicks (about 40 of the cutie pies, smiling). I woke up, didn't get to find out if the raven was after chicks or food, smiling.

I don't have any overhead fencing over our chicken runs and the chicks get to go outside in the outside pen at about 3 weeks of age, that is when they have migrated from the brooding area to be with adults, in a segregated little pen inside, you saw it, it works so well for that migration and they are right beside the adult buckeyes. They get subject to any chicken thing that is floating around, I am sure there are chicken diseases all over the place, smiling, or so I have been hearing anyways, the diseases that are there, in EVERY chickenyard, whether you know it or not, smiling. Keep chickens? Well, you got that marek's disease floating around, hopefully the birds have built up immunity to it, oops, gone off topic again, as usual, my pardon.

We have ravens, osprey, hawks I think and there are bald eagles not far away. I have not ever lost one bird, not one, to these air predators, probably just lucky. My chickens free range every day, not every breed all day, but they all get their hand at getting out and enjoying the free life. Haven't lost any free ranging birds either. I have absolutely no clue what to attribute it to. Maybe dogs, there are lots of dogs here, but not always out near the chickens, horses, there are 4 of them, very close to the chicken coops, high fences so the birds can't fly out (except for that town gal, the barred rock, that flies in and out of everyone's pens, she is the only flyer, she would have a combination of buff orpington, cochin and buckeye crosses if I ever incubated her eggs, town gal that one, smiling). I think also because there are a good number of chickens in each of the outside pens, this may be intimidating to the air predators, and not much room really for a big huge bird to fly in and grap a chicken, not enough grab and run space, maybe this helps. The little ones free range too, when they get a bit older. If they are with mammas, they go free ranging earlier with mamma. So, I don't know, maybe our place is too intimidating in many ways for air predators. We are in the open valley, between the mountains, with lots of room for the huge fields. This probably keeps down the number of land predators during the day. I know I hear the coyotes close by at nights, but that is when the birds are all locked down anyways. Gack, did I ramble off again, eeks, havin' one of those mornin's I guess. It wouldn't matter to me if you were speaking about my chicks, Chicory, I am not like that. You do whatever you want with them, they are in your care and if crap happens, crap happens, smiling. Hope it all works out for you, whatever the plan, and yes, do have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Did you break brood already???? I posted just after you. We have the same air predators. If they are not going after the big birds, I think you could put mamma and babies together. The babies stick pretty close to mamma until they are about 3 weeks old, then they wander a bit. I think I would have chanced it and given mamma babies, just my two lil' ol' cents here, not worth much, but surely a good two cents anyways, I always give things a chance, personally -- beautiful days, CynthiaM.

Well I took her out of the big dog cage that I had her in yesterday. She had been in there for over a week and broody for about 3 weeks so I was starting to get concerned about her not having some chicks to break her. She will probably be in the nest box, still very broody, when I go to let them out this morning.

Here's the deal......the ONLY chicks I was willing to give her were a breed I never wanted nor plan to breed but Russell really wanted us to try - Australorps. We bought the eggs very spontaneously at Ty's sale from Dan last month. When I mentioned I was thinking of putting a few of the Aussie chicks under her, he asked for me not to as he has had chicks fly off with the ravens before. Not here on this property but down the road about 10 miles from here where he lived many years ago. I'm guessing they were less than a week or two old when they went M.I.A. back then. Given he has been so supportive (and you know what I'm talking about) of my chicken plans, I couldn't take 'his' breed and use them as an experiment.......but nor was I willing to give the hen my breeds.

I seem to have to deal with a lot of broody hens. Also have two Wyandottes who need breaking. Boy, they like to go broody. It gets a bit annoying after a while having to haul out cages and feeders to try to break them. And they're such lovely plump girls. I don't want to see them thin down.

Anyways, thanks for your input Cindi. Sure was wonderful to finally meet you. I just love my little Buckeyes.

Oh my girl, sigh....no wonder you are reluctant to give the broody mamma Russel's chosen chicks, that would be so horrible if he lost any to predation. And yes, you got one good man there, sticking up for his woman's crazy passion, you must protect and make him feel good about the whole thing too. Go with gut. That is what you do, and you don't want him to see his babies packed off by a frickin' raven, as he has seen in the past, not good for body, mind, nor soul. (ya, wonderful to meet you in the flesh, too girl!! and Hubby too). Protect Russell's babies with all your might, mind and soul. Good luck. I know. I got three more cochins that are sitting on thin air, they won't get off the nest box, so guess gonna set some eggs, but I just don't need any more chicks, and another buff orpington that is making the broody clucky. I think she was the one that fooled for about 3 weeks and then stopped the puffy feathers and broody bwak sound. Still think she was deterring the rooster from mating, not that it worked, smiling. But I expect to see a big fat orpington sitting on thin air too, blah, oh well, let it be. I can't be bothered with trying to break it up, just let things go I guess. Have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.

Chicory, the second pm I just sent you may find very important.



(pm wasn't about this subject, but about something else Chicory said so didn't want to post it here)

Thanks coop!