About to try to let broody raise day-olds but have logistical question

[happymom99]

I am absolutely loving this thread. Congratulations to the new additions to your chicken family. What a joy it must be to see your girl mothering the little chicks. That picture is precious. Thanks so much for sharing. Please keep us posted on how they are all doing.

You have totally inspired me to try something like this myself some day.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

Quote:
I give my momma a small bowl of food- not the egglayer(Too much calcium in the egglayer food and can be toxic to chicks), just grower crumbles, and and a chick waterer right in her area so she starts them eating and drinking without having to take them out if she is not comfortable doing so.

Sounds good so far

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I got a little worried too when my babies were not coming out but they did just fine. And later on mommy showed them how to drink and eat

When they are little they stay under mommy A LOT. And soon you will start seeing peeks out of wings etc and then they will start spending more and more time out

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Well, everyone, so much for being worried about rejection...they're already taking advantage of Mom's patience!

 

[happymom99]

What a good mama. Thanks for the sweet picture.

 

[Lyssa]

Quote:
Too cute! I have a hatchery hen who just sat 21 days on her eggs, and is now being a great mom. I'm glad your sweet BO is doing such a good job

 

[gritsar]

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I have 2 hatchery birds that are excellent mothers, and another two that are broody that I have no doubt will be just as excellent. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but to say that hatchery birds cannot be good mothers is false.

Without reading through five pages of posts, I agree.

To say that hatcheries have tried to breed the broody gene out of hens is correct. To say that they make lousy mothers is incorrect.

Doe is a hatchery SF. She has raised 3 clutches, one store bought. Another SF raised one. Jethro is a hatchery bird and she's not only raising a clutch of store bought birds, she won't turn them loose. Going on 7 weeks and she's still mothering.

Mine did fine with their store bought chicks, in the flock with the other birds.

 

[hokankai]

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I love it when they do that! Mine still do that at 4.5 weeks old, haha, poor mama!

 

[JusticeFamilyFarm]

That is adorable!