Does anyone ever leave it up to their hen to raise a chick

[Hambone]

Does anyone ever leave it up to their hen to raise a chick. I was wondering what % of chicks will make it without any help from us.

 

[FrenchHen]

On our first go, we have a 100% survival rate of hatched chicks. She was separate from the flock for 4 weeks, and reintroduced just yesterday. Everyone's doing fine, especially me since I have no brooder to maintain!

 

[gritsar]

Not only will a good broody hen do it, she'll often do it much better than we can.
I've read several articles recently where the authors (long time chicken keepers) insist that Mama Hen raises chicks that are smarter, have more chicken sense, than brooder raised chicks.
Some reading on the subject:

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/1/1-3/working_with_broody_hens.html

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

They are the professionals!

 

[kcfuerst]

Which came first - a chicken mom or a bator?

 

[chickenshagg]

My mother-in-law has two hens that are currently brooding seven three week old chicks. She seperated them from the rest of her flock in order to protect the little ones and they all seem to be doing well! I asked why two hens for the babies? She said that they both had been sitting on the eggs so she just left it up to the both of them to brood them. Did not think it would be fair to seperate one of the mothers.

 

[marymac]

I let my silky raise the 5 chicks she hatched for me. They were BLRW's and she was with them for about 3-4 wks before she was wanting to get out , but she still kept talking to them. She was separated from the rest of the flock, and had a little time getting back in with them , but soon everything was back to normal. It's really the way nature intended.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

We use two silkie moms. They sit and hatch and then we put them in a rabbit hutch for about 3 to 4 weeks. Then they are let out with mom and she takes cares of them until they no longer need her.

We have two sets like this so far. Get a silkie Hen !!

 

[FrenchHen]

Ours is a big, cranky, Buff Orpington.

When she pecks it hurts. I had a great painful little bruise on top of my hand for a while.

 

[erthymom2]

I've let my big black cochin raise her's and added some mutts that hatched at the same time to her brood. She never blinked an eye and they stayed together for months.

My black she-devil silkie is a great momma to her one baby and the four jersey giant baby's i gave her to brood. (the jersey momma didn't have a clue and kept wandering off and leaving the babys alone & unprotected, so i gave them to the silkie.)