Chicken 6th Sense?

[cheeptrick]

Ok...I've got about 5 days left till my little ones start pipping. But I've got a question about my existing flock. I know I need to quarantine the babies after hatch for about 30 days. My current flock ALL 20 Easter Eggers seem to KNOW I've got buns in the oven. Not only are they all sitting at my back door watching me...but one ran in and went straight to the bator?? Do they KNOW or can they hear the new tiny additions? I mean this is really strange behavior for my hens...
I know I've read somewhere on here that others have put pipping eggs in the nest so the broody hens will snap out of it?
I'm totally FOR keeping my flock healthy though...just having maternal pity for my hens.

 

[speckledhen]

Actually, you don't quarantine newly hatched chicks for 30 days. They shouldn't be around the flock till they're much, much older, unless they're with a broody hen, their own mother. Quarantine is for adding purchased birds to your flock. I dont allow adult birds with my chicks in the brooder that I've hatched for about 3 months, usually.
If you do allow non-broody hens with young chicks, they may actually kill them.

 

[cheeptrick]

Thanks speckledhen...I was wondering if they might harm them. I do have my brooder all ready to go.
What if they are bantams and my existing flock are standard size hens? Should I wait even longer before I introduce them into the flock?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I never put my hatched chicks into the pen with the older adults til they are close to being mature....16 to 17 weeks...that way they are big enough to defend themselves or find a place to hide and get away from bullies....you also need to remember the older girls can starve out newly introduced pullets and cockerals so more than one feeder and waterer in my pen....my thoughts

 

[cheeptrick]

Thanks Tuff...
No roos here...
These are Lisa's Silkie/Frizzle mix eggs I'm hatching out. I will keep them separate 3-4 months part of that time in my warm basement with roaring fireplace then off to the shed...made part of my shed into the brooder. DH decided we are going to make the whole thing a coop come summer...and our little 8 x 10 coop will be our brooder.
I've got definitely 10 or so alive...first time hatching so candling is kind of touch and go with linking to as many candling pictures as I can find. I do see lots of movement though.
I'll post hatch pictures as soon as they start pipping...