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We are going away for 4 days tomorrow morning. But we've been trying to let our 4.5 week old chicks have some time out of their run. Today was the first day that they've had all day out. They all survived (yay!) but late afternoon I noticed they weren't staying in much of a group as they had previously, then when I tried to put them all away, babies were in the coop but mum was still wandering around alone. Then when DH went to shut them in for the night, he noticed that the mother is back roosting with the other hens and the babies all (we hope all of them) were back into the broody coop.
What should we do???? My aunt is going to look after them while we are away, but only really popping by in the morning and evening, so not really keeping a close eye on them. Should we:
a) let the babies out as normal (out in the morning locked away at night) and hope they'll be ok.
b) try and get the mother back in with the babies in the broody coop and keep them all locked together until we get back, then try again - but I'm worried the mother might turn on the babies.
c) keep the babies locked in their cage till we get home and assume the mum has lost interest.
If we weren't going away I'd probably let them out to roam, but were are here pretty much all the time.
I guess I'm leaning toward option C.
Any help would be great - as you can tell this is the first time we've actually raised any chicks ourselves.

P.s Farmerdrea - thanks so much for your other chickenly advice - it was most helpful!!!!

Not that I'm a huge expert, I have raised a few chicks - for what it's worth, I would go with C, but only if there is a heat source (heat lamp etc) as mum will have been keeping the babies warm... It wouldn't do them any harm to be kept inside I wouldn't have thought, at that age anyway!

Rach

I quite agree. In my experience, when mum is done, she's done. The babies should be fine on their own now, but I would definitely keep them caged while you're away. It's hedgehog season, and half-grown chickens make quite a feast for them when they can get ahold of them, which was far too often for us last summer (we killed nearly 20 in about a week and a half after we caught one eating a half grown Dorking pullet alive!).

Sounds like you're already away anyway, so hope is going well with your chickies at home.

Andrea
NZ

Well we got home today and all our chickies are intact!
The morning we went to leave the mother was hanging around the broody coop clucking to the babies, so I let her back in with them and my aunt kept an eye on them.
She kept them all together locked away for a day then has had them out and about together. Apparently mum has been doing a fine job - so I guess I was worried for nothing!!