Broody hatch-a-long!!! With Pippin!

[fran6]

I went to close down the coop last night and they were all snuggling together on the highest roost. They used to sleep on the floor but it seems they got an upgrade at 19 days lol

Broody raised chicks are so much better! (so far anyway)

More eye candy for my byc friends:

 

[Cazook]

Anyone else finding that their broody-raised chicks are a lot friendlier than chicks raised in the brooder? They seem a lot less afraid and more interested in checking out new things. I have one that will fly onto my shoulder any time it sees me, whenever I've raised brooder chicks it was a struggle at that age to even get them to eat out of my hand when I'm sitting still. I'm guessing they get a lot more stimulation being outside early instead of living in a small cube.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Anyone else finding that their broody-raised chicks are a lot friendlier than chicks raised in the brooder? They seem a lot less afraid and more interested in checking out new things. I have one that will fly onto my shoulder any time it sees me, whenever I've raised brooder chicks it was a struggle at that age to even get them to eat out of my hand when I'm sitting still. I'm guessing they get a lot more stimulation being outside early instead of living in a small cube.

well they are definitely less afraid of outside than brooder chicks. My brooder chicks FREAKED when they first went outside. Pippin's chicks are very friendly (more than I'd expect), but my brooder chicks were really tame. It's so cute to see chicks with their mamma playing outside together though. Its so rewarding to see that.
In the future (when I have more space for chickens), I will probably add to my flock with both broody chicks and brooder chicks, and I'll get the perfect flock of adventurous friendly birds, and cuddly birds!

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Anyone else finding that their broody-raised chicks are a lot friendlier than chicks raised in the brooder? They seem a lot less afraid and more interested in checking out new things. I have one that will fly onto my shoulder any time it sees me, whenever I've raised brooder chicks it was a struggle at that age to even get them to eat out of my hand when I'm sitting still. I'm guessing they get a lot more stimulation being outside early instead of living in a small cube.

It depends if you are chicken obsessed and walk around with your chicks all day... oh wait, does anyone else actually do that?

 

[PippinTheChicken]

It depends if you are chicken obsessed and walk around with your chicks all day... oh wait, does anyone else actually do that?

Well when I was raising chicks I barely left the brooder.

 

[Cazook]

It depends if you are chicken obsessed and walk around with your chicks all day... oh wait, does anyone else actually do that?

I did this but once they went outside to the run they were still really skittish. Not sure why. Maybe it's that in a brooder you are having to reach in for them which they don't really like vs them being outside where you can sit down and they can approach you instead. I have definitely been 'hovering' a lot more with the brooded chicks mostly cause they aren't in a penned run and I worry about crows, seagulls etc trying to take them. I even came out one day to find the three chicks trapped in a hole with mama nearby (they went into enclosed coop for a week after that, until they got some flying feathers, lol)

Comparing chicks I've had in the brooder vs ones looked after by a hen it seems they grow a bit slower (a lot more running about and not being next to food dish I guess) but feather out and 'mature' a lot faster. The first chicks I brooded had no danger sense at all (apart from running from me ) while these ones spend most of the time sheltering under the raspberries.

Tbh I'd prefer this way all the time though it kinda limits you to spring/summer broods. It's fun for a couple of weeks to have chicks inside but it's a lot more work than just letting them do their stuff with a mamma hen to look after them, and you don't need to integrate them later etc. Though I think I'm kinda 'brooded out' after I had a lone duckling in my room for a month that required constant attention. It was only doable since I was around 24/7 due to the lockdown but sheesh, a lot of work. Leave it to the hens

 

[yakitori]

Anyone else finding that their broody-raised chicks are a lot friendlier than chicks raised in the brooder? They seem a lot less afraid and more interested in checking out new things. I have one that will fly onto my shoulder any time it sees me, whenever I've raised brooder chicks it was a struggle at that age to even get them to eat out of my hand when I'm sitting still. I'm guessing they get a lot more stimulation being outside early instead of living in a small cube.

I had mine both indoors and out, and how nervous they were definitely depended on how nervous the broody was Outside, my broody was always clucking and on the alert. Inside however, she just sat in the cage and chilled, that was my cue to do whatever I wanted with the chicks. They could chirp their heads off, and my broody wouldn’t even turn her head. I gave away all five of mine a week ago at 4 weeks of age. The lady who took them said her daughter loved how friendly they were and cuddled one the entire car ride home!

 

[Imammusa]

This thread is now too quiet
How about an update on the chicks

Thinking pullet

This is a single combed silky roo who is crowing every morning from when he hit 3 weeks

Another single combed who I have no idea of gender but hopefully pullet

And finally my vaulted skull who I also want to be pullet .

alright y’all that’s it
Can you guys guess the genders??

 

[yakitori]

This thread is now too quiet
How about an update on the chicks
View attachment 2779984
View attachment 2779985
Thinking pullet
View attachment 2779986View attachment 2779987
This is a single combed silky roo who is crowing every morning from when he hit 3 weeks
View attachment 2779988
Another single combed who I have no idea of gender but hopefully pullet
View attachment 2779989View attachment 2779990
And finally my vaulted skull who I also want to be pullet .

alright y’all that’s it
Can you guys guess the genders??

Pullet, Roo, Roo, Pullet
based on comb size I guess

I have 2 new chicks, 11 days old

Super slow feather growth, so guessing both Roos.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

This thread is now too quiet
How about an update on the chicks
View attachment 2779984
View attachment 2779985
Thinking pullet
View attachment 2779986View attachment 2779987
This is a single combed silky roo who is crowing every morning from when he hit 3 weeks
View attachment 2779988
Another single combed who I have no idea of gender but hopefully pullet
View attachment 2779989View attachment 2779990
And finally my vaulted skull who I also want to be pullet .

alright y’all that’s it
Can you guys guess the genders??

Pullet roo roo pullet (same as yakitori)