Help? Chicks or eggs??

Date sort Score sort
beckybogart89

beckybogart89

In the Brooder
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Points
24
Hey everyone, Is it better to buy chicks or to buy eggs and hatch them? I was speaking with an individual who has raised chickens from hatching and they said that the chickens will be more attached to you if you hatch them and they see you when they come out of the egg. Is this true at all? I bought two ducks from tractor supply and they are not attached to me, they do not come to me, they actually run away. Would hatching make a difference? Is it easy enough for a new chicken owner to do? Thank you!!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


While a freshly hatched chick will bond with the first large form hovering over them, day old chicks will also bond with you just as easily. I am not sure about ducks, as I have never kept them. But as for other poultry I have kept, I have never noticed a difference in bonding behavior between hatched from an egg or purchased as day old chicks.

All this being said, most chicks are afraid of you as to them they are not sure of your intentions. They don't like to be grabbed from above as a predator might grab them. It is instinctual for a chick to run for it's life.

But you can work with them by moving slowly around them, going in very slowly into the brooder, scooping them up from below and making every experience for them a positive one.

I have found that getting chicks out for field trips either to the living room floor or outside in a safe enclosure works quick to bond them to you. Each of these places is a scary big area for them and they will naturally turn to you for safety. This creates that bond, them to you, and sticks with them that you are safe to rely on.

So give them time. As they grow, spend more time with them, bring them some treats, let them climb all over you and before you know it, you have some real lap babies.

As for hatching, if you have never done a hatch before, it can be quite disappointing to wait out all those days with no success. Chicks are instant.

Good luck with which ever route you choose and welcome to our flock!
 
That could be, but if you want the chicks to bond with you, just hold them a lot, get them used to your voice and sing. Chicks love being sung to. I have 13 chickens (Barred Rocks, White Leghorns, and Sex-Links; Red and Black) I raised from chicks. They all follow me and love being held! I have a Barred Rock that gets jealous if I hold others, another that jumped on my shoulder, and my Leghorns all crowd around me and jump on my lap. They are by far the most social chickens I've ever had. One of them actually keeps lookout for when I'm coming.
 
Welcome to BYC, I think chicks form easier connections with people than older chickens. I've observed that new duck folks seem to have problems with their ducklings, that they scatter and run. It just may be that ducks period, aren't lap pets and huggable. I have no idea. You could ask about that on the duck threads at "Other Backyard Poultry" forum. They sure are a lot of fun to watch though.
 
On the part of the duck thing, Konrad Lorenz concluded that ducklings imprint on the first thing they see, so if its not you, it's understandable, them running away and being not social.
 
Last edited:
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! X4, have never seen much difference between chicks bought as day-olds and ones that were hatched as long as they were socialized and handled frequently. And the Duck forum is a good place to ask if you want some suggestions about your ducklings https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/42/ducks
 
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Great advice has already been given. Here is the best info I can give

Starting with eggs can be fun and very rewarding. It takes twenty-one days for chicks to hatch. (Twenty days for bantams.) It is not easy or inexpensive, though. You will need an incubator and many supplies, and don’t forget the eggs! Very specific guidelines are usually included with the purchase of an incubator, so thoroughly read these instructions and follow them in order to hatch healthy chicks.
Here are a few things to consider before taking on the task of hatching chicks:

1.) You must make sure the temperature and humidity are just right in the incubator. There is little room for error.

2.) You must turn the eggs every few hours so that the embryos don’t stick to one side of the shell.

3.) You must check the eggs and incubator often to make sure everything is working correctly.

4.) If the electricity goes out or something goes wrong with the incubator, humidity, heat or egg turning then the chance of hatching healthy chicks is greatly reduced!

Here are a few reasons to consider incubating eggs:

1.) Starting eggs from the very beginning is a fun thing to do as a family, and it is very educational!

2.) Hatching chicks instills responsibility in the ‘hatcher’.

3.) The chicks will be very tame as they will imprint on the person who hatches them.

4.) Hatching chicks makes a great life science project.

Chicks are easy to tame, fun to raise and you don't have to worry about all the stress if incubating. But that also means you don't get the fun experience and rewards of incubating.
 
Thank you everyone! Great tips, and I know regardless of if I get chicks or eggs, I can't wait to get my flock!
 
One advantage of chicks over hatching would be the simple convenience of gender selection. With hatching there is the issue of not having quite the results you want when it comes to the flock you are planning. Ending up with unexpected males, as an example, can be a problem in and of itself. Purchasing hatched chicks gives you the option of buying sexed birds - while there is still the chance of having an unexpected "oops" or two in the mix, the odds are more in your favor. It's important to be prepared for dealing with surplus birds - whatever method it is that is best for you.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom