shadowfox
Songster
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?
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?