Mother hen feeding her babies food from the DO NOT FEED list!

[Judy]

Chicks raised by mamas also develop more immunities from her, and acquire good gut flora naturally.

 

[Emilys3guppies]

Quote:
Forgive me, but how does a mama hen provide immunities and gut flora? I'm very familiar with the mammal world of breastfeeding, colostrum and intestinal closure...but less familiar with how the GI tract matures in poultry.

Thanks!
Emily

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, they get immunities more so than brooder babies since if they are on the ground under mom hen, they are also exposed to hen poop, which is full of junk, that they eventually do consume little bits of it when they eat stuff off the ground. A brooder is "sterile" and often can put them behind in the development of their immune systems. So you can be too clean when it comes to raising things, be it your kids or the chicks. But all in all, in moderation is key as you don't want them to be constantly walking over their poo, so sweep up but no need to lysol so to say.

As for the do not feed list.... I've tossed probably darn near everything on that list out to the bids. Mine free range though so don't tend to eat things out of boredom, which may happen if birds are cooped, which in that case, potato peels and citrus which are generally ignored by my free ranging birds at least, might be eaten in excess.

 

[wyo-helpmeet]

Mojo Chick'n :

Has the mother hen SEEN the list? maybe she was simply unaware of it's existance.

'

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
In addition to that, I would think (but could be wrong) that as Mama Hen is passing chicks food from her beak, she would be passing along good bacteria from her mouth, no?

 

[silkiechicken]

Probably from their mouth too, but I'd be inclined to say that their mouths are more like our hands than our mouths, since they aren't as moist and probably don't harbor as many specific bacteria. If you just put some dirt from the run into a brooder, that can be pretty close to giving brooder chicks mom immunities, but won't quite make up for the 24/7 watch mom hens can give chicks.

 

[robbdebbie]

Great info thanks

 

[caralouise1974]

I have a three week old chick out free ranging with her Mom at the moment, and she feeds it anything and everything. Sunflower seeds, bread, dirt, tiny pieces of grass, grains, mealworms, flies, bugs and creepy crawlies of all kinds - and it's thriving on them. I haven't seen it even touch the chick crumbs yet. So I wasted my money there!

Oh, and instead of drinking from the clean water I provide daily, Mom encourages the chick to drink from muddy puddles and the rainwater that collects in the manhole covers! Typical.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I did an experiment a few months back with a broody hen and an incubator. Both were due to hatch at the same time. I wanted to see the growth difference in the chicks being raised in the brooder compared to the hen who was raising her chicks with the flock free ranging. At 2 weeks of age the chicks with the hen were twice the size of the chicks in the brooder.The chicks in both the incubator and with the hen were pure bantam cochins. Those babies allowed to free range with mama were very healthy and seemed to mature and feather out quicker then the ones in the brooder. Mama always knows best so I give her the ball and let her run with it.

 

[bethanyrae]

Thanks so much everybody. I feel much better now. I decided not to post the "do not feed" list in the hen house after all.
(I love this website....I'm learning bunches)
bethanyrae