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Help with my broody hen and chicks

Discussion in 'Incubating & Hatching Eggs' started by Catalina, Mar 21, 2009.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Mar 21, 2009 #1
    Catalina

    Catalina Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Jul 19, 2007
    Minnesota
    My broody hen, Lavender, hatched 4 chicks yesterday.
    I have them in a brooder with paper towels over wood shavings.

    Lavender keeps ripping up the paper towels and making a big mess.
    And she's teaching the chicks to eat shavings!

    Help! [​IMG]
     
  3. Mar 21, 2009 #2
    eggchel

    eggchel Overrun With Chickens Premium Member

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    Both Coasts
    Usually the mom scratches the ground and picks up bits of food to show the chicks how to eat. Sounds like she is trying to do that.

    If your brooder is big enough, you could push all the shavings to one side and sprinkle some chickstarter on the bare floor of the brooder, if it isnt too slippery for the chicks.

    You could also switch from shavings to straw or even hay for bedding.

    Ive always just kept mine on shavings. They figure out pretty quickly that it isnt food.

    chel
     
  5. Mar 21, 2009 #3
    Catalina

    Catalina Chillin' With My Peeps

    1,241
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    181
    Jul 19, 2007
    Minnesota
    Thanks - I just took the paper towels out. And poured a layer of chick food around the feeder.
    Lavender is trying to show them what to eat, but the food kept dissapearing into the shavings.

    There's newspaper underneath the shavings and Lavender has a problem with that too, she keeps picking and pulling on it.

    Don't know what she has against paper! [​IMG]
     

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