Raising chicks

[nancy10]

We have 2 baby chicks that are 1 day old. Should I leave them with their mum or take them away. They are in a warm coop outside but as the nights are getting chilly I don't want them to die from the cold.

Always leave them with their mum. if you take them away you need a box, a heat lamp (not enough to just have them inside they will be too cold) and you will need them like this until they are 8/10 weeks and ready to go outside. if you do this be prepared to clean their box out twice a day, have a net over it so they don't fly out etc. make sure the coop is in the best place it can be (less exposed more sheltered if at all poss) put plenty of straw in with mum and leave them there.

I have nine one week old chicks with their mum outside (see pics on profile). There is plenty of bedding in the eglu (I use aubiose), their run is sheltered from the wind and covered with a shower curtain to keep the rain off.
Be prepared to move mum and chicks into a safe shed or garage with somewhere fox and cat proof to live in if necessary. Don't remove them from mum.
Good luck, it is so cute!

Thanks for your replies, brambleschooks, your chicks are very cute. We thought it best too to leave chicks with their mum. We've had a 3rd hatch out this afternoon and they all seem quite happy as they are, so fingers crossed!

Fingers crossed. Put food and water in jam jar lids in their house today as the mum might want to keep them in to start with. Mine had a tendency to fall in their water to start with! Once mine got to a few days I worried less about e cold, but my friend on a welsh mountain has just lost a 4 week old chick to cold.

They are walking about today, given them food and water and all seems good! I can't believe how loving and protective the hens are! They've got a big wooden fence at the back of their coop which shelters it from the wind. It's quite cosy in there, feel a bit more confident!

aw bless em. Mine are starting to venture out a bit into the garden with their mum - not too far, mind.

Does your coop have a run that you could put some plastic over with bungee cords? It's the draughts and wet that bother me with mine as they're such little scraps.