LittleBigBantam
Songster
- Sep 10, 2019
- 262
- 3,809
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This is going to be a thread about my experience on raising chicks alone. This was only possible because of the pandemic, and the fact that school is over.
My first chick, philip.
It was my first time hatching eggs, and I put 9 eggs into the incubator. Because it was cold, 8 out of 9 died. I didnt have the heart to kill an unborn chick just because I didnt know that raising it alone was possible, but I knew that I wouldnt be able to get any more chicks to be his friend. From day 1. He thought I was his mom. I would whistle to him every day while they were still eggs, and I whistled in encouragement as he was hatching. Philip is a cross between a blue paint silkie and a Leghorn. Once it was warm enough out I would take him outside while I would work, and he would either fly up on my leg then my shoulder, follow me around, or lay in the sun. He is still one of my favorite chickens, and will produce some very pretty offspring
My second chick, Clyde.
I was outside, letting my chickens out one sunny day at the end of may. My broody hen took her chicks to a nice little spot where they could get away from the other chickens, and forage around. I was over there taking pictures, when I saw a strange egg in what looked like a makeshift nest. I figured it was one of my turkeys first eggs, so I tucked to put it in the incubator to see what would happen. Well, 19 days later a little black chick hatched. Clyde had a better connection with me than philip ever did, and he is still the sweetest little chicken. I now believe that he is a cochin cross, as he has feathered legs and very floofy feathers.
I have had no issue whatsoever with raising these chicks, keeping the healthy and happy, or integrating them in with the flock. I made this primarily to share my experience and to help anybody who is in the same situation I was in
My first chick, philip.
It was my first time hatching eggs, and I put 9 eggs into the incubator. Because it was cold, 8 out of 9 died. I didnt have the heart to kill an unborn chick just because I didnt know that raising it alone was possible, but I knew that I wouldnt be able to get any more chicks to be his friend. From day 1. He thought I was his mom. I would whistle to him every day while they were still eggs, and I whistled in encouragement as he was hatching. Philip is a cross between a blue paint silkie and a Leghorn. Once it was warm enough out I would take him outside while I would work, and he would either fly up on my leg then my shoulder, follow me around, or lay in the sun. He is still one of my favorite chickens, and will produce some very pretty offspring
My second chick, Clyde.
I was outside, letting my chickens out one sunny day at the end of may. My broody hen took her chicks to a nice little spot where they could get away from the other chickens, and forage around. I was over there taking pictures, when I saw a strange egg in what looked like a makeshift nest. I figured it was one of my turkeys first eggs, so I tucked to put it in the incubator to see what would happen. Well, 19 days later a little black chick hatched. Clyde had a better connection with me than philip ever did, and he is still the sweetest little chicken. I now believe that he is a cochin cross, as he has feathered legs and very floofy feathers.
I have had no issue whatsoever with raising these chicks, keeping the healthy and happy, or integrating them in with the flock. I made this primarily to share my experience and to help anybody who is in the same situation I was in
