Is it better to raise chicks in a brooder or with a broody hen

[five is my dog]

I still want some more chicks. suprisingly!

but what is the best way to raise them through a brooder box or broody hen. It would be way cheaper to just stick some eggs under my broody but which way is better would they be more comfortable around people if they grew up in a brooder box? would they be better at free ranging if they grew up with a broody? please help! Anything you have heard or in your experience would help!!!!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Me too. I'm collecting blrw, coronation & light sussex, oh and silkie eggs ready to incubate. It's bucketing down outside and we've just been down the back to bring the goats up in case it floods. So I figure they'd be better off inside the brooder. I find them to be much friendlier when they have been handled, yet the ones that momma hen raises are nearly always more robust .

 

[five is my dog]

i have raised them in the brooder before but my hen's chicks have not yet hatched so i guess ill find out soon. I have noticed that they are friendlier when they were in the brooder.

 

[A Chicken Owner]

They are friendlier to people when they have grown up in the brooder because they see you as their mommy hen. It's a lot easier letting the broody do all of the work but the chick won't be as friendly as one that grows up in a brooder. If you raise chicks in a brooder, there's the task of introducing them into the flock which sometimes isn't an easy task. With a broody you don't need to worry about introducing chicks into the flock. A chick raised by a broody would have more life skills and if its a hen, would go broody more often than a brooder raised chick. It depends on what you prefer. Do you prefer a more docile chicken? Do you prefer a chicken with more life skills? Do you prefer a chicken that is more likely to go broody? These are my points and its up to you how you want to raise chicks. Sorry to be repetitive towards the end.

Sincerely, A Chicken Owner

 

[A Chicken Owner]

Well this is a shot in the dark but Fancychooklady are you from South Eastern Australia? Since you referred heavy rain as 'bucketing down' I think your Aussie and since south eastern Aus. is experiencing some heavy rain, I thought I'd ask if you don't mind. I'm from Melbourne and as usual we're missing out on the rain.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Well this is a shot in the dark but Fancychooklady are you from South Eastern Australia? Since you referred heavy rain as 'bucketing down' I think your Aussie and since south eastern Aus. is experiencing some heavy rain, I thought I'd ask if you don't mind. I'm from Melbourne and as usual we're missing out on the rain.

Hey, I'm in Tassie, and the rain has now turned into " snow " brrr

 

[A Chicken Owner]

The weather people said it was going to hail today. We didn't even get a cloud in the sky.

 

[Fancychooklady]

The weather gods were " right on " here , windy , wet and cold. After seeing the news tonight , Victoria is getting a good dumping, fingers crossed , it will reach you. The Houn river is expected to peak at 3 metres, it would be really nice if it would stop raining ," now ".

 

[A Chicken Owner]

We had record breaking rain last month

 

[A Chicken Owner]

The Gippsland area is getting the dumping but as usual we'll probably get a couple of drops- if that.