The most I have had a hen successfully raise is 8, any more than that & she seems to loose track & the number dwindles until she has a manageable brood. Of course mine are all 100% free range, but that hasn't been a problem.
Chick feed has slightly different nutrients & contains some form of grit. Layer feed is formulated for optimum health in terms of egg production.
That being said, there is no one better equipped to raise chicks than a hen; just let her do her job & give her & her chicks full access to outside...
Our Hen House
After reading many books and doing an extensive search of forum topics on building coops, I developed plans and set to work with my husband to create a simple, yet functional coop for our flock that would total about 15 birds.? We originally planned to place it out in the yard...
We decided to add chickens to our humble home in the woods; for kicks, bug control and of course eggs. I suppose meat also, but I don't know about that; neither of us grew up on a farm so our relationships with animals have always been in the realm of pets.
A selection of easy to manage (if...
Mine free range in our yard & woods & love a pile of leaves to scratch around in. Their other love is some bare, scratchable dirt in the sun for dusting.
Around here she can easily hatch out through late september or so and still have time to raise them so they are 6 weeks or so old before the weather gets to yucky. I worry more about the early days of the hatch when I often have to help the chicks out/in the coop for the first week until they...
I have 2 verified broodies and possibly a 3rd (love my speckled sussex and salmon favorelles). Little speck is always my first verified broody of the season and occasionally I'll get 2 hatch/raises out of her; she's the best mama hen I have, very doting and will stay with the chicks until they...
I have an eastern wild tom that was raised by one of my hens. He free ranges with the flock during the day and roost in one of the yard trees at night, always keeping an eye on the coop. He does challenge the head rooster, but mostly they just follow each other around the yard with the turkey...
Chickens will sit, and sit, and sit until something hatches...at least some of them will. Others get their fill after 2-3 weeks and abandon the lot of eggs before they hatch. Because turkey eggs do take longer to incubate you will want to make sure your hen is hearty gal who will sit for the...
I use one of those heating elements that you put into the water dish, I use one of those thick rubber dishes that holds several gallons (Tractor supply). I put the waterer right outside the basement door and it worked all of last winter and is still going strong. I also use a heated dog dish...
I am reading 2 books at this moment, as well as a list of articles for work...but that's another story.
The 2 books are:
Cotton by Stephen Yaffa
Beekeeping: A Practical Guide by Richard Bonney
Fear originates and manifests in our heads, whether psychological or physiological. Not only are they shaped by our experiences, but perpetuated by the synapic paths those experiences pave...including chemical release; be it pleasurable or frightful. In time our reactions become reflexive, and...
Eeek! Not a shopper, never have been, probably never will be. I like my crowds to be the clucking kind with feathers looking for morning treats (hmmm, that may describe some of the door buster lines). That said, all the online 'black friday' offers that are spamming my email inbox are...
No turkey today, instead I cooked a Muscovy duck for our dinner celebration. Yum! The duck was from a local farm, free range. Our tom is safe in his roosting tree tonight.
Thanks everyone
They are a happy group, they love the range of the yard and the surrounding woods (some more than others).
We haven't had need to butcher any of them yet. I'm a veg, so that decision is up to my meat-eating husband.
Mr. Peepers is a speckled sussex. Wonderful rooster...