human raised chicks vs hen raised chicks

[chickens really]

I love my Broody raised Chicks....Tougher Chicks and a lot healthier being raised by Momma...Easier to integrate and seam over all flock ready....

 

[crysab]

I love my Broody raised Chicks....Tougher Chicks and a lot healthier being raised by Momma...Easier to integrate and seam over all flock ready....

does it make sense that they grow a tad slower? I don't disagree that they will be tougher for sure and they are already integrated with the flock, but just concerned about growth rate right now

 

[chickens really]

Access to feed is so important .... Separate or multi feed stations with Chick starter in them...I do both grower for my adult hens and starter lower for momma and Chicks ...
Oyster shell out for my continued layers...

 

[Abriana]

I have 4 hens that I bought as day-old chicks and raised as usual with the heat lamp and all. I also have 2 chicks that I bought as day-old chicks and gave to my broody hen to raise (which she did very well) I notice a big differance in the attitudes of the 2 that were hen-raised. They tend to stay together with each other but they wander off from the other 4 a lot. (My chickens are very free range, but get locked up at night.) These 2 have also found a place outside of the coop to hide a nest, and although they are kind of friendly, they are not as attached to me as the other 4. When they were little chicks still, I had daily contact feeding them, etc., and I would pick them up once in a while, but not as much as the first 4 that were raised under the light and knew that I ALWAYS brought food. It isn't like they were totally wild and never saw a person!They don't really seem attached to the hen who raised them either. I just thought this was interesting and decided to share, has anyone else noticed this behavior?

They do not make the mother-chick connection after the mother is done with them. Infact, the mother chases them off if they come near. They will not be as friendly as human-raised chicks, but i think the hen-raised ones ones are smarter and have more know-how. For example, i noticed that the hen raised chicks dustbathed and scratched much earlier than human raised chicks. The human raised chicks i prefer, as they are super friendly. One of mine is strictly a lap hen. They are both good choices, but it depends on your opinion really.

 

[azygous]

I realize this is a very old thread but I am currently raising 7 chicks in the brooder and have a hen raising 5 in the coop. The ones in the brooder are growing like crazy, however the hen raised chicks are growing much slower. Could this be related to the competition for food? I have chick starter for them but the momma hen eats some and the other hens can grab some as well. I try to keep it full but they other birds constantly have access. Any ideas? The chicks in the brooder are Marans and olive eggers, the hen raised ones are wheaten ameracaunas. Thanks in advance.

Your question seems to be mainly about feeding, not the interactive issues the thread discusses. It probably would have been best to start your own thread.

Regardless, you do seem to have a problem with the adults in the flock co-opting the chick feed and the chicks not getting enough to eat. You solve that problem by segregating the chicks and their food from adult access.

You can accomplish that by either fencing out the adults from the broody and her chicks or establishing a "panic room" for the chicks in which you place their food and water. The adults aren't able to access the inside of this pen because the openings are chick-size.

This system not only helps the chicks get enough to eat but they are integrating safely with the adults while always having a safe refuge to return to when the stress gets too much for them.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Things would get informative if you had four groups of chicks. Two groups raised by separate hens and two raised in separate brooders. You would find chicks raised together flock together although the brooder reared group would on whole be more inclined to associate with you. Simply because two groups were reared by hens does not mean they will flock together later. My do not unless both hens belong to harem of same rooster and in my situation both broods then began to associate with father when mothers renested (see following thread for details https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=451333) I went an extra mile with hand rearing (chicks were with me most of day and trained to come when called by name) and they associate with me even as adults much more than typical brooder reared siblings.

I also prefer quality of hen reared chicks but they require more land / shelter resources. My most recent hand reared females were allowed to rear their chicks and I made efforts to interact with those bitties. Such bitties now almost as interactive with me a their hand reared mothers.

Chicks imprint on the first large movable thing that they encounter. A motor cycle is as good as anything else in the eyes of the peeps. That doesn't mean that hand reared bitties love you, it only makes you more responsible for those chicks well being. It means that you are viewed by the human reared chicks as just another chicken to be manipulated and bullied.