MJ's little flock

[Shadrach]

Not my Snowy.

As MJ points out below, there are always outliers. I found getting them to roost on a bar overnight did often do the trick. It makes sense because their chest and belly area they would keep warm while sitting is exposed to air movement which is essentially how the broody breaker cage works.
As always, the keeping circumstances have an impact. If the hen can return to her nest, or find another nest she can sit in things get more complicated.
I've had broody hens intent on sitting attempt to sit on eggs laid by other hens in another tribes coop. That was interesting. Eventually the enforcer from the other tribe drove her off the nest. It wasn't pretty.

 

[Shadrach]

Regarding the food and water debate and MJ's thread. I'm not going to clog up the thread with such a debate.
Given what I know about MJ's keeping circumstances a commercially produced feed for the chicks seems the best option. If at a later date she wishes to delve into the rabbit hole of alternative feeds and their pros and cons and believes her keeping circumstances can support alternative feeds then I'm sure she'll make up her own mind. At this stage getting the chicks fed with minimum fuss seems the sensible option.

 

[BDutch]

I hope this is a joke. Pineapple pizza seems like a totally harmless sin compared to KFC.

I was so flabbergasted that I didn’t know how to respond. You hit the nail Manue. @Perris, KFC is very much a no go.

And when that happened here, the useful advice you gave was to try to scatter the crumble on the floor or on a plate, because mum wants the kids to learn to scratch. The feeder itself can be the reason why she won't let them eat.

Once more, everyone makes their own choices and conclusions. There are a million ways to do things. And broodies might know this too.

If someone gives an advice you don’t like, don’t follow, if it doesn’t suit you. Learnt that with my own babies when I was a very insecure mother.

Also, if a broodie knows better bringing up her chicks, let her. Even if we like her to do things as humans have written.

Don't worry too much. There are a million ways to do things right.

But it didn't work for Léa 's hatch, so MJ just in case I would make sure to have around for their first days some eggs (should not be difficult) and bread that hasn't got a list of ingredients as long as my post.

When I was a child my mother had a aviary with canaries. When they hatched baby-canaries, my mother always gave them mashed rusk with egg. Nothing else, nothing balanced. And that went well too.

My own chicks/chicken mamas get a mash made from chick feed and water. And the mamas search for extras to give to her chicks as soon as they come out of the coop and into the small run. The mammas call the chicks when there is food for them to eat.
A lot is good food for the chicks in her eyes: the insect she finds herself of course. And whatever she gets from me: pieces of fruit , tiny grass clippings, dried and broken mealworms, pieces of cooked spaghetti's, cooked rice.
I also give the chicks stomach grit for doves on the side as soon as the chicks start to eat extras in case the sand in the run is too fine to grind.

My thinking, if it’s no good, the mamma wouldn’t call the chicks to eat it. The basic feed still is the mash / chicken feed I give them. Even after 4 months.

The chick feed I have this year has 19% protein. If the feed has 23% protein, I would think there is no need at all to give extra high protein feed like dried mealworm.

 

[RoyalChick]

I think this discussion of feed is bringing out the ‘anxious Auntie’ in us!

 

[BY Bob]

Regarding the food and water debate and MJ's thread. I'm not going to clog up the thread with such a debate.
Given what I know about MJ's keeping circumstances a commercially produced feed for the chicks seems the best option. If at a later date she wishes to delve into the rabbit hole of alternative feeds and their pros and cons and believes her keeping circumstances can support alternative feeds then I'm sure she'll make up her own mind. At this stage getting the chicks fed with minimum fuss seems the sensible option.

I agree.

 

[BY Bob]

Also, if a broodie knows better bringing up her chicks, let her. Even if we like her to do things as humans have written.

Don't worry too much. There are a million ways to do things right.

Well said.

 

[MaryJanet]

Well said.

Really. "A million ways to do it right" is a very reassuring thought.

 

[MaryJanet]

Just taking a moment to thank everyone for the chick feed discussion. Although it's a hot topic with a wide range of strongly held knowledges, it was ultimately beneficial. I've ordered 20kg of red hen chick crumble from a store that aims to stock fresh fodder. They're getting it from the wholesaler, who gets it from Laucke's. Hopefully it'll be delivered before peeps start cheeping.

 

[MaryJanet]

I've just about decided to put this shade sail

...on the pergola and get a narrower one for the run.

The pergola needs a shade sail. It always has.

 

[MaryJanet]

For a tiny amusement, when opening Mary's Hatchery in the morning, I look in at her, we stare for some moments, then I say, "Blink once if you're ok." And (of course) she always blinks