estpr13 Wrote: I have finally concluded that if you have a momma hen just let her do her thing. Let the chicks eat dirt, drink dirty water, get underfoot and get kicked across the room when momma is scratching for fresh dirt. What can I say they are all healthy and growing like weeds. I've even seen some of the older chicks under the Cornish hen. (what the Heck?)
The biggest difference from these chicks and the oldest hens that I have is that I haven't been able to handle them. So they are scared of my presence and run off churping. All the older chickens I have, I raised in a 3' x 4' cardboard box and handled them fairly regularly. Even now I can reach out an rub my hand under the roosters as they scoot off out of arms reach, but they don't run away.
I let my mommas that hatch out do their own thing with their chicks too. But I do love hatching them out, they are friendlier I think. I've got 4 eggs in the bator right now... they are gonna be spoiled little chickes
The biggest difference from these chicks and the oldest hens that I have is that I haven't been able to handle them. So they are scared of my presence and run off churping. All the older chickens I have, I raised in a 3' x 4' cardboard box and handled them fairly regularly. Even now I can reach out an rub my hand under the roosters as they scoot off out of arms reach, but they don't run away.
I let my mommas that hatch out do their own thing with their chicks too. But I do love hatching them out, they are friendlier I think. I've got 4 eggs in the bator right now... they are gonna be spoiled little chickes
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