lazy or better way?

[tndalexander]

Hello I have hatched eggs with incubators & recently left the eggs under a broody hen then when I saw other eggs from other hens that I liked I pushed them under the broody hen she hatched 25 chicks in all of all different types she had a Cochin hen who went broody & was helping too but she lost her broody behavior when I lost a few at night & brought the chicks in.

So I kinda like the hen hatching the chicks & if I let one or two go broody I have less work & she is happy to work with the chicks.

The chicks seem skittish around me will they be tame also? Or is this one of the issues with letting mom hen raise the chicks? When they are adults will they still be friendly?

I appear to have all hens & one roo imagine my surprise! But with the wicked weather we are having I was very happy to see the hen "holding it down" literally in the coop in the nest box with chicks in back & under wing.

So what is best & why?

 

[delisha]

Don't you think these are question you should have answered before you decided to hatch out chicks? Well... they are here and you do have responsibilities now. Given the circumstances the best chance is with the mother. She will know much more than you can provide them. Make sure she has excess to fresh water, cover, nutritious foods, so she can teach her chicks. Do some reading and research.

 

[tndalexander]

thank you for the suggestions, they are in coop when out side & I had brought them into the basement 2 days ago when winds from hurricane sandy had the wind blowing so hard the coop was warm & chicks were cozy but the sounds were pretty scary for them all so I had to move the whole flock in doors for the last 2 days. I will move them back out soon.

The chicks are feathered but still smaller. The hen has a brood box she is in with them & they get watermelon strawberries and other fruit along with crumble & some bits of 7 or 12 grain bread from time to time. My brother in law owns a fruit market so he daily brings things that will not sell there bruised or what have you. The chicks would just starter at some food before but the hen would peck it to bite size pieces & soon the chicks were eating like crazy.

 

[tndalexander]

I have also had MANY batches of chicks from incubator raising I have had no major losses & this is the first time I let a hen brood chicks. Well it was 2 hens but the Cochin left off being broody a few weeks after hatching her share of eggs. I brought the chicks in after losing some to an opossum the Cochin would perch at night after that but still help with feeding chicks during the day