- Mar 6, 2011
- 63
- 66
- 131
Hi guys. I’ll bet I haven’t posted in over a year. Sorry. Life has been crazy.
I’ve kept chickens off and on for over 25 years, (Mostly for eggs.) but I’ve always started my flocks with feed store or mail order chicks. When starting my current flock, I decided on bantams so I could keep more birds in the same space. I started searching and read that OEGBs are good brooders. I ordered chicks from Cackle and waited to see what would happen when they got old enough. (I’d never had a hen go broody before.) Sure enough, about 6 weeks ago, my little Red Pyle decided she wanted to set. Three weeks ago, I finally gave in and partitioned off a nest area for her and gave her just 5 eggs. She was very diligent, only coming off the nest to eat. When I got home this afternoon, there were 5 tiny chicks under her wings! I didn’t expect them all to hatch, but I guess my White rooster doesn’t have favorites among all 18 of his girls!
My flock is mixed OEGBs, so it will be fun to see what they look like as they grow.
I’d like to let the hen raise them in the partitioned off area where they are now. I wouldn’t mind putting them in a box and bringing them in the house, but I’d like to let nature take it‘s course. She seems like she’ll be a good mother. She’s even more protective of the chicks than she was of the eggs. She even drew blood on the back of my hand! I imagine that once they feather out some and don’t need her for warmth, I can let her out with the flock before the chicks. I would also think that when the time comes to let them out, the flock will be more likely to accept them if they’ve always been in the coop.
Any advice for this new father would be appreciated.
I put some starter mash on a dish and gave them another waterer that's easier to get to.
Here's a few questions for starters… Will she start laying again right away? Will her eggs be safe to eat if she pecks at the medicated chick starter?
Thanks!
Clucknut
I’ve kept chickens off and on for over 25 years, (Mostly for eggs.) but I’ve always started my flocks with feed store or mail order chicks. When starting my current flock, I decided on bantams so I could keep more birds in the same space. I started searching and read that OEGBs are good brooders. I ordered chicks from Cackle and waited to see what would happen when they got old enough. (I’d never had a hen go broody before.) Sure enough, about 6 weeks ago, my little Red Pyle decided she wanted to set. Three weeks ago, I finally gave in and partitioned off a nest area for her and gave her just 5 eggs. She was very diligent, only coming off the nest to eat. When I got home this afternoon, there were 5 tiny chicks under her wings! I didn’t expect them all to hatch, but I guess my White rooster doesn’t have favorites among all 18 of his girls!
My flock is mixed OEGBs, so it will be fun to see what they look like as they grow.
I’d like to let the hen raise them in the partitioned off area where they are now. I wouldn’t mind putting them in a box and bringing them in the house, but I’d like to let nature take it‘s course. She seems like she’ll be a good mother. She’s even more protective of the chicks than she was of the eggs. She even drew blood on the back of my hand! I imagine that once they feather out some and don’t need her for warmth, I can let her out with the flock before the chicks. I would also think that when the time comes to let them out, the flock will be more likely to accept them if they’ve always been in the coop.
Any advice for this new father would be appreciated.
I put some starter mash on a dish and gave them another waterer that's easier to get to.
Here's a few questions for starters… Will she start laying again right away? Will her eggs be safe to eat if she pecks at the medicated chick starter?
Thanks!
Clucknut
