Wanting to 'wean' chicks away from the hens for a while, just so I can start handling them more so they're not so skittish. When I try now I have to 'fight off' mamma and pappa. I have an area right beside where mamma and pappa are, but then the chicks just run back and forth along the fence and once in a while try to go 'through' the fence. They can't fit through because of chicken wire on the bottom. Do I let them run till tired out or rig up something that's not in sight of mamma and pappa?
'Weaning' chicks from hens
In my recent and limited interaction with my peeps, hens and roos, I find nothing better than leaving the chickens to themselves to raise the peeps. My peeps that have been removed from their moms and pops, do not have the natural instincts, including raising their own, as do the chicks that remained with their moms and pops. However, my chickens are pets, total pets, and we, my grands (age 15 -8 years), handle our peeps just like we do kittens and puppies and the chickens are unusually tame, but they are Bantams. Maybe being Bantams is why the chickens are so friendly and tame. Our hens sleep by their youngsters and defend them until they begin to set on another set of hatchlings. After the new hatchlings arrive, the hen's allegiance turns to the newborn hatchlings, which seems to be the natural course with chickens. Good luck!!!!!!
The hens that have the chicks are white silkies and I didn't get them till this spring when they just started laying. So they had not been handled much by previous owner, so they are skittish. The chicks are already 8 wks old, but the hens have not allowed us to come near. When we do manage to first seperate them and then pick one up, it squacks and the hens and roo get upset. That's why I would like to seperate them some and handle the chicks so they don't turn out like the mammas and pappa.
You may have waited too long but I would separate them totally. Out of sight and sound hopefully soon out of mind. Then handle everyone at every opportunity. Best wishes.