My little chickies that hatched in an incubator just before St. Patricks Day. They have been out in the nest box with their adoptive mom since day 2-3. She started bringing them outside almost a week ago. Might have been earlier had I not locked her in / the others out for a while first.
Learning their dust bathing and scratching like little pros now. So cute to watch them skiddling across the ice and snow still piled high in most of the run. Even with temps in the teens in the morning and highs maybe only at the mid 30's, they are growing like weeds and running around free from mama most all of the time.
ETA:
I find that I second guess myself all of the time, what I should do to care for my birds and raise a healthy flock.
Ultimately, I rely on two things. Nature and faith. If a hen is going broody, SHE must know that she can raise chicks, and if a chick is not strong enough to make it in less than ideal conditions (as we humans term it) than it probably is not hardy enough stock anyway.
Learning their dust bathing and scratching like little pros now. So cute to watch them skiddling across the ice and snow still piled high in most of the run. Even with temps in the teens in the morning and highs maybe only at the mid 30's, they are growing like weeds and running around free from mama most all of the time.
ETA:
I find that I second guess myself all of the time, what I should do to care for my birds and raise a healthy flock.
Ultimately, I rely on two things. Nature and faith. If a hen is going broody, SHE must know that she can raise chicks, and if a chick is not strong enough to make it in less than ideal conditions (as we humans term it) than it probably is not hardy enough stock anyway.
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