Chicks raised by people vs mamma hen

[shadowfox]

When a mamma hen raises chicks she does it outside. The baby chicks have access to bugs, grass, dirt, treats given to the rest of the flock, etc, all things that when a person is raising them they are told to avoid for the first week or two at least. WHY!?!?!? If mamma hen has her chicks outside, why shouldn't I take mine out? Why shouldn't I bring in some dirt and put it in the brooder for them to play with when they are 3-5 days old, especially if the dirt is really gravelly and functions as grit?

I'm torn between "isn't this what would happen if mamma hen raised them" and "your chicks will get impacted crops and die." I've got my first ever group of chicks (9 of them) and I've been really nervous. So I ask, what side of the fence are you on? Play it safe or more like mamma hen?

 

[TattooedChicks]

I think you have a to find a balance for both. You are not a mother hen, you will not be with them 24/7, introducing them to these things like she would, calling and tidbitting and moving them around the yard. Those suggestions to not do those things comes from caution and what ifs. Take them into consideration and apply them how you think best to raise your chicks. I did four separate broods this year, and each one evolved into something I felt more and more comfortable with, from the by the book indoor brood under a light for six weeks, then down to barely 4 weeks, to two weeks inside with a heating pad then another two supplemented outside, to immediately in the coop day one with a heating pad and free to roam by two weeks old. That last batch flourished, though they are taking longer to tame since I was more hands off with them this time.

All in all, do what feels right.

 

[chickens really]

Do like Momma.....I do too.....Mine are raised with a Hen...Momma does not worry if they are too cold...She takes them foraging and shows them things to eat...Get outside and be momma ....

 

[shadowfox]

All in all, do what feels right.

Thanks for the support! It helps that hubby is pretty level headed about it all and can tell me to just chill out. I definitely like trying to let them have as much exploration time as I can give them. They were out again today. I ended up taking the tray of dirt out of the brooder because I wasn't comfortable with it quite yet.

It's just interesting (and confusing) seeing the wide range of view points just on brooding baby chicks and trying to figure out where I want to fit into it all. I guess the main thing is that the chicks are cared for the way I am most comfortable.

 

[centrarchid]

Brooder is like an outhouse where you would be eating off the floor and toilet seat. Free-range the chicks are able to avoid consuming too much feces.