when you have an elevated nest box for your hens, how do the babby chicks, onced hatched, get in and out of the nest box? do they just fall? thats an 18 inch drop.
Answers:
The hen will set on them for the first 24 to 48 hours after hatching to insure all the eggs that can hatch did.when she leaves the nest she will call to them and entice them to jump down.18 inches isn't to high for them to jump.Once they get on the ground they do not return to the nest.They will stay with and around the hen.When the chicks get cold or scared they will run under the hen.She will every few minutes lay on the ground and the chicks will climb on her back and under her wings to get warm.During the evening roost rather then returning to the nest the hen will stay on the ground with the chicks.Again the chicks will go underneath her to stay warm.Once out of the nest they do not return back to it.You can put a box in the bottom of the coop as a place for her to nest the young over night.
They are not exactly supposed to come out, it's not very safe.
Actually they will stay in the nest until 4-5 weeks or when ever its time for the parents to say enough get out LOL, the father nudges the babies out around 4-5 weeks and he teaches them to forage and to perch and how to find food. If your not handfeeding, may I suggest that you take the babies out after 14 days and start to play with them and hold them.
10 year breeder.
baby chicks will always follow their mom,and they will try to get out of the box,once the eggs is hatch,the nest is not really the place where the mother will take their babies,they usually will sleep somewhere on the floor and the babies will go under the mother to keep them warm.
The best option is simply to provide a ramp up to the nestbox.
18" could be a very dangerous height for them to drop, and they definately won't be able to get back up again.
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