davis_clan
In the Brooder
- Dec 21, 2022
- 4
- 0
- 12
I facilitated my grandson's class to do an incubator project. I got 18 eggs from a local backyard chicken enthusiast and gave 11 eggs to the class and 7 eggs to my mega broody Golden Cuckoo Maran. The class did great, hatching and brooding 8 of the 11 and my broody did her usual awesomeness hatching 6 of 7; both sets hatched w/in the same 12hr period on day21. Both clutches are now 4wks old and school is ending so I am looking for advice on combining the clutches moving forward. My plan is to house the classroom chicks in a quarantine pen for a week, then to a separation pen underneath my coop for nose to nose contact with broody and chicks as well as my other 5 hens. A few options I was thinking of after 5-7 days of nose to nose interaction:
1) Putting Broody and chicks into the separation pen for a few days
2) putting just the chicks together for a few days
3) putting a chick only barrier over the door of the pen w/ 2" x 4" fencing to give the chicks access to the pen when they need to get away.
I have done the last one in the past for previous clutches to give them access to the chick starter without the hens being able to get to the higher protein feed. The chicks then have their own roosts and space away from the adults.
1) Putting Broody and chicks into the separation pen for a few days
2) putting just the chicks together for a few days
3) putting a chick only barrier over the door of the pen w/ 2" x 4" fencing to give the chicks access to the pen when they need to get away.
I have done the last one in the past for previous clutches to give them access to the chick starter without the hens being able to get to the higher protein feed. The chicks then have their own roosts and space away from the adults.