First time natural hatch

[raiford921]

Well I've been keeping chickens since...well January. Every talks about chicken math, well I talked my wife into getting 6 chickens and chicken Algebra later, we have 20 hens and 1 rooster. Well we had one if our 6 month old hens go broody and after a week of setting I placed 6 eggs under her on Sept 1st. The morning of September 21st we have 5 little chicks, one eggs was not fertile.

We have let her do all the work and now are leaving it to her and nature to raise the chicks. She fluffs at the others if they get too close but none of the hens or the rooster lay real attention to the chicks. We have done nothing but set up a little maternity ward in the bottom of the coop so chicks don't tumble out.

Just thought I'd post how our natural hatch is coming.

 

[sourland]

Good luck with continued success!

 

[lizgarf]

That's great! How's it going with the other hens in the coop?

 

[TheReadyBoys]

Good luck! I have a duck and chicken sitting on some eggs right now, maybe I will have chicks soon too!

 

[raiford921]

The hens are curious and a couple have pecked at her, but not the chicks. The rooster came within 3 feet and looked over the chicks and left. She had them out in the yard (free range chickens) scratching and sunning, no issues.

 

[lizgarf]

That's great! I'm wondering when my chicks-to-be will be able to free range. There are a lot of cats in the neighborhood, including my own, who don't bother my grown chickens, but I can't imagine they won't be interested in the chicks. Do you have cats around? Anyone else with experience with this?

 

[AmericanMom]

That's great! I'm wondering when my chicks-to-be will be able to free range. There are a lot of cats in the neighborhood, including my own, who don't bother my grown chickens, but I can't imagine they won't be interested in the chicks. Do you have cats around? Anyone else with experience with this?

We have cats on every side and so far none have bothered with our chicks, but although the chickens and chicks free range during the day, we close them up at night. We have lost two chicks but that was to dogs, our chicks found a weak spot in our fence and got caught in the neighbors yard

 

[raiford921]

We lock ours up at night also. We have two cats and I've seen another cat in our yard at night. Our backyard is about 15,000 sq ft of privacy fencing. The only issue was about an hour ago. I just so happen to be outside when a hawk swooped down at the hen and chicks. The other chickens went to raising cane along with the rooster. Mama hen sat quickly and the chicks ran under her, but she was out in the open and the hawk landed in the fence about 10 yards away. I ran out and scared off the hawk but now I have an issue that I'm not sure what to do with. We have two dogs that don't bother the chickens, but the ain't looking out or them either.

We have numerous bird feeders around the house, coop, and garden. They've been empty a while, I guess I need to refill them. I've seen the hawks around before, but the other birds around raised a ruckus and pestered the hawks till they ran off. I guess I'll refill the feeders and hope for a little aviary help.

 

[AmericanMom]

We lock ours up at night also. We have two cats and I've seen another cat in our yard at night. Our backyard is about 15,000 sq ft of privacy fencing. The only issue was about an hour ago. I just so happen to be outside when a hawk swooped down at the hen and chicks. The other chickens went to raising cane along with the rooster. Mama hen sat quickly and the chicks ran under her, but she was out in the open and the hawk landed in the fence about 10 yards away. I ran out and scared off the hawk but now I have an issue that I'm not sure what to do with. We have two dogs that don't bother the chickens, but the ain't looking out or them either.

We have numerous bird feeders around the house, coop, and garden. They've been empty a while, I guess I need to refill them. I've seen the hawks around before, but the other birds around raised a ruckus and pestered the hawks till they ran off. I guess I'll refill the feeders and hope for a little aviary help.

We have a hawk that invades our neighbors yard to get the birds that feed at all the bird feeders, I am postive thats this is why they havent (yet) went after our chicks.

If they ever quit feeding the birds, I would probably invest in alot of feeders

 

[raiford921]

Today is three days old and she has taken them all over the back yard. Ten of our hens we purchased as chicks and had the whole brooder, lamp setup. I know many that incubate eggs talk about maintaining the exact temperature and I worried about that with the chicks walking around with her. Well she lays down every so often to enable the chicks to crawl under her to warm up, but most keep moving. It's 77 degrees with a high of 81 today, so this is definately not a 95 degree lamp and then arent huddling around or trying to get under her.