Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

[MesMama]

@bruceha2000
Yeah he's a big softy, tries to pretend they're *just* chickens...riiiight babe! Lol! He was helping me check butts this morning and picked one up and it was squealing, he nuzzled it and put it to his chest <3

 

[MesMama]

Oh, you do have bigs!!.....I wondered when I saw that feeder in another pic, but for some reason thought the chicks were your first chickens.

Yep 7 BO's These are my first chicks though, I got my bigs from a gal that was rehoming her flock so they came to me as grown ups...WAY easier to care for LOL!

 

[aart]

Quote: Ohhhh, OK......yeah chicks are a whole nother learning curve.
Funny about the chicks responding to the cockbirds tidbitting.

 

[bruceha2000]

Quote: Ohhhh, OK......yeah chicks are a whole nother learning curve.
Funny about the chicks responding to the cockbirds tidbitting.

That is what I was going to say. All these chickens of different breeds. They don't sound alike (for instance my 2 White Rocks sound like a nasal clown car horn) so they don't "speak the same language" but somehow that "here is food" sound is understood. No one taught it to my 2012 girls, they were my first chickens and came as day olds from Ideal. But both Zorra and the Faverolles made the same sound to call the 2015 chicks to something they found.

 

[MesMama]

Ohhhh, OK......yeah chicks are a whole nother learning curve.
Funny about the chicks responding to the cockbirds tidbitting.

Yes. Yes they are!

 

[bruceha2000]

The bigs saying hi to the littles

My roo found a nugget of something at one point and made the food call and a bunch of the littles came rushing over to where he was <3 It was SO cute!

Does he call the hens to food as well? If he is calling the chicks I'd wager you can go for a very early integration with portals from the brooder pen to the rest of the area. I bet that rooster will protect the chicks from all comers, just like a mama hen would.

 

[MesMama]

That is what I was going to say. All these chickens of different breeds. They don't sound alike (for instance my 2 White Rocks sound like a nasal clown car horn) so they don't "speak the same language" but somehow that "here is food" sound is understood. No one taught it to my 2012 girls, they were my first chickens and came as day olds from Ideal. But both Zorra and the Faverolles made the same sound to call the 2015 chicks to something they found.

It is SO interesting how some things are just *there* Makes me think of how you see women swaying when they're holding a baby? It's instinctual I think. And it's effective for calming babies

 

[MesMama]

Does he call the hens to food as well? If he is calling the chicks I'd wager you can go for a very early integration with portals from the brooder pen to the rest of the area. I bet that rooster will protect the chicks from all comers, just like a mama hen would. 

He does call the hens for food yes Interesting about the integrating early thought! He is such a good roo! With my broody hatched chicks last year he was so good with them, teaching, protecting and corrected them when needed.

And to top it, when he had the nugget and called there weren't any hens in the coop with us. Just him and the chicks <3

 

[bruceha2000]

Go for it MesMama! If he cared for the broody raised chicks I bet he'll do the same for these. It is his job and apparently he knows it.

 

[MesMama]

Oh and also @bruceha2000 we only put one portal in the brooder, will that be enough for them to get back in away from any sass from the hens? We're going to put some other 'cover' type thing in the coop as well, thinking just a piece of plywood against the wall?