spiceholler
Chirping
- Sep 12, 2021
- 42
- 33
- 76
We just pulled chicks from a broody. She had raised chicks before, but only 6 and now being winter the chick order minimum is 15 so we tried grafting them. We have done 15 successfully with another hen so we felt optimistic.
We waited until nightfall and then opened the nursery coop and gave them to her. Her eyes seemed to light up so we felt positive and got them all under her. I checked back in an hour and one chick had fallen out of the temporary nest box so I put her back under then cut the corners of the box so if it happened again they could more easily get back under her.
We unfortunately woke to a dead chick and when I peered in further i noticed about 6 were huddled in the corner. It was a bit cool this morning, about 46, so I setup a brooder light and sat back and observed them.
What I started to notice was the broody was pecking at the chicks when they went to eat, not doing the usual "nibble, grab a bite, food's right here" sound. I tried restuffing some of the chicks under her. I watched as other chicks emerged and she seemed to exhibit the same behavior so I cancelled the project and moved the chicks inside.
It's a big bummer because yesterday we spent a lot of time building a mobile pen to surround a nursery coop. We wanted to be able to remove it and deploy it in the case of future broodies, but we have to do what's right for the wellbeing of the chicks.
The tough part is we have four hungry cats and creeky old farmhouse doors in our house so I was able to secure one room with an additional latch.
My plan is to divide the main coop in two sections and once these chicks get their feathers I might be able to move them into one side with a light and food until they are ready to join the flock. At least this way the other hens will be able to get used to them.
We waited until nightfall and then opened the nursery coop and gave them to her. Her eyes seemed to light up so we felt positive and got them all under her. I checked back in an hour and one chick had fallen out of the temporary nest box so I put her back under then cut the corners of the box so if it happened again they could more easily get back under her.
We unfortunately woke to a dead chick and when I peered in further i noticed about 6 were huddled in the corner. It was a bit cool this morning, about 46, so I setup a brooder light and sat back and observed them.
What I started to notice was the broody was pecking at the chicks when they went to eat, not doing the usual "nibble, grab a bite, food's right here" sound. I tried restuffing some of the chicks under her. I watched as other chicks emerged and she seemed to exhibit the same behavior so I cancelled the project and moved the chicks inside.
It's a big bummer because yesterday we spent a lot of time building a mobile pen to surround a nursery coop. We wanted to be able to remove it and deploy it in the case of future broodies, but we have to do what's right for the wellbeing of the chicks.
The tough part is we have four hungry cats and creeky old farmhouse doors in our house so I was able to secure one room with an additional latch.
My plan is to divide the main coop in two sections and once these chicks get their feathers I might be able to move them into one side with a light and food until they are ready to join the flock. At least this way the other hens will be able to get used to them.
