- Aug 26, 2012
- 51
- 1
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I am a new "member" but have been reading posting for a while. My chickens free range - only been shut-up at night for protection.
I have two (given to me at different times) incubators and three brooding hens.
The brood hens are hatching Guinea keets plus a few chicks now. I placed Guinea eggs under the hens a week before placing a few chicken eggs under them. New chicks are hatching now in incubator # 1. It is my intention to "slip" the new incubator chicks under the brood hens at night (when the chick are 1 day old and dry). I think the hens will accept the incubator chicks as her own. It is my intention to raise the keets and chick together. I have read the pros and cons of this mixture and I am willing to take the risk. I have constructed a brood area in my chicken coop and it was my intention to keep the brood hens and keets in the brood area for about 6 weeks before I allow the keets and their "mothers" to free-range. This way the "mothers" could teach the keets.
Now for my problem. When I got my second incubator, I could not resist setting some more chicken eggs. They are due to hatch in 2 weeks. I do NOT have a second brood area for the new chicks.
Since the new baby chicks (at 2 days old) will be larger (?) or about the same size (?) as the keets can I "slip" them into the brood area under the hens one night?
I could put a plastic storage box in the brood area to separate the new chicks, but the older chicks and the mother hens would be able to step over the box side into the new chicks area. I would still have the problem of how to introduce the new chicks to the older chicks/keets.
I have two (given to me at different times) incubators and three brooding hens.
The brood hens are hatching Guinea keets plus a few chicks now. I placed Guinea eggs under the hens a week before placing a few chicken eggs under them. New chicks are hatching now in incubator # 1. It is my intention to "slip" the new incubator chicks under the brood hens at night (when the chick are 1 day old and dry). I think the hens will accept the incubator chicks as her own. It is my intention to raise the keets and chick together. I have read the pros and cons of this mixture and I am willing to take the risk. I have constructed a brood area in my chicken coop and it was my intention to keep the brood hens and keets in the brood area for about 6 weeks before I allow the keets and their "mothers" to free-range. This way the "mothers" could teach the keets.
Now for my problem. When I got my second incubator, I could not resist setting some more chicken eggs. They are due to hatch in 2 weeks. I do NOT have a second brood area for the new chicks.
Since the new baby chicks (at 2 days old) will be larger (?) or about the same size (?) as the keets can I "slip" them into the brood area under the hens one night?
I could put a plastic storage box in the brood area to separate the new chicks, but the older chicks and the mother hens would be able to step over the box side into the new chicks area. I would still have the problem of how to introduce the new chicks to the older chicks/keets.
