- Jul 5, 2008
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(I hope I'm posting in the right place)
I have a broody buff orp and bought 4 baby chicks from the feed store for her to foster. I am looking for some reassurance that everything is going as it should, since I have absolutely no experience with hens hatching or raising their own chicks. I've always raised them inside, in a dog crate, with a lamp, food and water. This next part is how we introduced mama to the 4 chicks. The second part, below that, is what happened afterwards...and my questions about "normal" mama hen behavior.
Introducing chicks to mama:
After dark, we put mama in the dog crate (with straw, food, water) with the babies. At first the chicks were frightened, ran to the back corner. Mama was half asleep. Mind you, this was outside where it was quite cold.
SO being worried that it was too cold for the chicks, we put a lamp on. Naturally, this woke up mama. She saw the chicks... she made this funny noise (my husband said she was coo-ing. I thought it sounded like "I see a big beetle, I'm gonna eat it!"). She pecked twice at the chicks, then stopped. But the chicks were now really scared, and cold. Nature can be harsh, I thought to myself.
So (duh) after that happened, we turned off the light. Mama settled down. We tucked the chicks underneath her and we took the crate into the house (double duh) where it's warm -- went to bed and waited for morning.
At 6:15, we saw no chicks, so figured they were still tucked under mama. But were they alive, or pecked to death? My hubbie was impatient and moved her to the side a bit (she pecked him - alot) and discovered all four chicks were warm and cozy.
Afterwards....
We turned on the lamp, thinking the heat would encourage the chicks to move around, and three of them did. They ate and drank, and walked right in front of mama. If she wanted to peck them, she could, but didn't. In fact chicks were pecking her. In her eye. Mama accepted this. Chick #4 still hasn't emerged.
Mama isn't moving much. Every now and then she seems to shift slightly, which makes sense. She is paying no attention to the chicks or anything else. This is how she has been behaving, constantly on the nest day and night for weeks, which led me to think she is broody. I call this the "stone hen" look.
So my questions:
Is mama acting like a mama?
Has she accepted the chicks, or just tolerating them or oblivious to them ("stone hen")?
What is normal behavior for a mama of new chicks?
Should I be concerned about chick#4?
Is nature not so harsh?
Thanks
I have a broody buff orp and bought 4 baby chicks from the feed store for her to foster. I am looking for some reassurance that everything is going as it should, since I have absolutely no experience with hens hatching or raising their own chicks. I've always raised them inside, in a dog crate, with a lamp, food and water. This next part is how we introduced mama to the 4 chicks. The second part, below that, is what happened afterwards...and my questions about "normal" mama hen behavior.
Introducing chicks to mama:
After dark, we put mama in the dog crate (with straw, food, water) with the babies. At first the chicks were frightened, ran to the back corner. Mama was half asleep. Mind you, this was outside where it was quite cold.
SO being worried that it was too cold for the chicks, we put a lamp on. Naturally, this woke up mama. She saw the chicks... she made this funny noise (my husband said she was coo-ing. I thought it sounded like "I see a big beetle, I'm gonna eat it!"). She pecked twice at the chicks, then stopped. But the chicks were now really scared, and cold. Nature can be harsh, I thought to myself.
So (duh) after that happened, we turned off the light. Mama settled down. We tucked the chicks underneath her and we took the crate into the house (double duh) where it's warm -- went to bed and waited for morning.
At 6:15, we saw no chicks, so figured they were still tucked under mama. But were they alive, or pecked to death? My hubbie was impatient and moved her to the side a bit (she pecked him - alot) and discovered all four chicks were warm and cozy.
Afterwards....
We turned on the lamp, thinking the heat would encourage the chicks to move around, and three of them did. They ate and drank, and walked right in front of mama. If she wanted to peck them, she could, but didn't. In fact chicks were pecking her. In her eye. Mama accepted this. Chick #4 still hasn't emerged.
Mama isn't moving much. Every now and then she seems to shift slightly, which makes sense. She is paying no attention to the chicks or anything else. This is how she has been behaving, constantly on the nest day and night for weeks, which led me to think she is broody. I call this the "stone hen" look.
So my questions:
Is mama acting like a mama?
Has she accepted the chicks, or just tolerating them or oblivious to them ("stone hen")?
What is normal behavior for a mama of new chicks?
Should I be concerned about chick#4?
Is nature not so harsh?
Thanks
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