My first batch, the one Sweety was in, nearly had heart attacks when I tossed a few earthworms in their run when they were about 4 weeks old.
The current 8 and 9 week olds were digging up their own and fighting over them at the same age.
I'll hear my cockerels do a "caw" warning and it'll be a dragonfly. I'm like, "You could catch that and eat it, ya know." They look at me like I'm speaking a funny language.
Oh, this was really funny!
While my son and I were putting the tarp over the new run about 6 or 7 of the 8 and 9 week old were milling around in the new run. When we started spreading shaving on the ground they all ran and huddled in the far corner, trying to escape. I realized they were afraid...
My bad 10 days, but still . . . . Before long they'll be laying eggs and having babies, lol.
BTW . . . while we were moving things around and cleaning up the yard I found a hidden nest. I don't know who is laying in it because Pot and the Buff Orpington (Buffy) are obviously laying in the nest...
It mostly depends on the pullet/hen. Day olds, no more than 3 days old, are generally accepted from what I understand.
Since she's a first time mom, and I really don't know how well she'll do, so I wouldn't want to chance it. I also don't want to overwhelm her. The incubator chicks are 11 days...
I think I might have realized why it happened. Any chicks that I hatch or brood indoors I handle frequently, so they have my scent on them.
I didn't handle these chicks at all so Daisy didn't see them as "mine". Just a theory, but not one I'm willing to test.
I knew it was a possibility and I thought I was being careful, but not careful enough.
Now I know she can't be trusted around broodies so I'll be adjusting my setup so it never happens again.
I put food and water in the henhouse/nest box so Sweety doesn't have to bring the chicks out until she's good and ready.
Now that my nerves have calmed a bit I'm gonna go get that second run finished so I can move the 8 and 9 week olds into it, and Sweety and her brood in the other run tonight.
The funny thing is in the thread @jxp made about "which will lay first" I said my BO isn't laying yet:lol:
She turns 5 months tomorrow, so I might need to amend my guess in that thread, lol
In lighter news I think one of other pullets started laying. I noticed a very large brown egg in the nest box, larger than Pot's.
From left to right:
Sweety's, Pot's and the new egg . . . I'm gonna guess my Buff Orpington . . . she's been milling around the nest box a lot the past few days, I...
These are the two that were killed:
White and black w a chipmunk stripe; top center
Reddish brown face, dark body (Looks like Snickers)
Biscuit and Biscotto are ok and the third chick, Dark fuzzy chipmunk; front and center, still needs a name.
She's been great with the ones I've brooded indoors, but I was still cautious because regardless of how great she is with supervision, she's still a dog.
I might have to take the chicks from Sweety and brood them with the others indoors.
I caught my dog Daisy with her head in the nest and she killed one chick and another is missing. I never beat a dog so bad in my life.:hit:hit:hit
I've been keeping the backdoor closed and a close eye on her and Brutus when they're outside. I was running back and forth filling feeders and...
The white and black on the far right is Biscuit, since it looks identical to Cookie.
The other four still need names:
White and black w a chipmunk stripe; top center
Reddish brown face, dark body (Looks like Snickers)
Dark fuzzy chipmunk; front and center
Fuzzy White and Black; far left, still...