Adding Classroom Incubator chicks to Broody hen clutch

[davis_clan]

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.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

#3

Your broody hen is likely about to fledge her group. I'd put the chicks together with nose to nose access for the larger birds, then after a couple of days range together with ability to get away. And of course lots of food and water stations.

I personally don't think you'd need to isolate them as they've pretty much been isolated already being in a classroom without any other chicken interaction or exposure.

My thoughts
LofMc

 

[davis_clan]

#3

Your broody hen is likely about to fledge her group. I'd put the chicks together with nose to nose access for the larger birds, then after a couple of days range together with ability to get away. And of course lots of food and water stations.

I personally don't think you'd need to isolate them as they've pretty much been isolated already being in a classroom without any other chicken interaction or exposure.

My thoughts
LofMc

Thanks, I appreciate the response ! I’ll do iso pen this week to control interactions and give the new chicks exposure to the coop space. Then start ranging the nuggets together over the weekend when human supervision is higher.

 

[BastyPutt]

#3

Your broody hen is likely about to fledge her group. I'd put the chicks together with nose to nose access for the larger birds, then after a couple of days range together with ability to get away. And of course lots of food and water stations.

I personally don't think you'd need to isolate them as they've pretty much been isolated already being in a classroom without any other chicken interaction or exposure.

My thoughts
LofMc

i agree with #3

However, I would certainly quarantine - or would find out how much, if any, the kids were allowed to handle the chicks. Very easily one of them could have a flock of their own and could have transfer something to those chicks by handling their chickens and then the chicks. The half-life on some of these things is quite long.

Either way, I think it is always worth the effort to go through a solid quarantine period with new birds.

Golden cuckoo Maran - I had never heard of this before, but now just heard it twice in the last hour. Interesting bird and would love to see a few pics!!

 

[davis_clan]

She gets super broody every year but is a great Mama and has raised clutches of chicks, ducklings and turkey poults.

 

[corthendo]

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.

Not able to give you the info you’re looking for but I just wanted to say thank you for donating eggs to the school. I knew nothing about chickens and my son’s kindergarten teacher reached out to me about their baby chicks they incubated in his class because my son told her we wanted them lol. We ended up taking all 5 of them home 6 weeks ago and I’m just in love with chicken keeping. I don’t know that I would have ever started this journey if it wasn’t for that.

 

[davis_clan]

Not able to give you the info you’re looking for but I just wanted to say thank you for donating eggs to the school. I knew nothing about chickens and my son’s kindergarten teacher reached out to me about their baby chicks they incubated in his class because my son told her we wanted them lol. We ended up taking all 5 of them home 6 weeks ago and I’m just in love with chicken keeping. I don’t know that I would have ever started this journey if it wasn’t for that.

It was a great experience for the kids and teachers. All 5 grade levels got involved to some degree. The teacher is now looking into bringing a 4-H program or similar to the school because it had such a huge impact on the students! It is awesome the effect animals can have...