NY chicken lover!!!!

[Pyxis]

I'm just curious... do hens seem to recognize their own offspring after they have grown up?  Do they get depressed when older chicks are sold/given away? 
I know, silly question.  Just curious!  lol

 

I did have one hen who really seemed to share a bond with her grown daughter. They went everywhere together. But I know that after a hen is done raising her chicks, you can sell them without upsetting her.

 

[Cass]

once a hen is done with chicks they just seem to be done with them. They move on.

I disagree. It depends on the age that they are given away. Once they are 6 weeks, yes, they just move on. If it is before 5- 6 weeks I have had hens look for their babies, clucking and clucking for them to come over and nestle under their feathers. On the other hand, I have one stupid bird that isn't even upset that I locked her out of the chick's area at age 2.5 weeks of age. So, actually, I don't "disagree" so much as I have to say "it depends on the hen". I have had hens stop laying for a couple of days when their favorite roo or sister hen has been taken from the flock. So I do think they notice, just different hens have different reactions to the change.

 

[Cass]

Chooks all doing well here. Haven't been chatting much since I am working on two school projects. I love WGU! I've completed 12 units in 22 days. 38 more to go.

Planning to move the chickens around in a bit, maybe in a few weeks. If I have nine big fat adult chickens, any thoughts on if I move them from my little coop into my big coop how long they'd need to be cordoned off? They are huge, probably bigger than the chickens currently in that coop, but who knows. Trying to figure out a place I can find room to 'isolate' nine big chickens! (this is not for germ isolation purposes, they are all my chickens and have been exposed to everything since birth)..

With that many chickens, could I get away with just throwing them on the roosts at night? There's 25 others in there - it's a very big coop.

Save yourself stress. Throw them in at night and check on them mid-day the next day to make sure everyone is still alive. (I have never had a problem with adding adults to my flock, at night, just chicks. )

 

[stonykill]

I'm just curious... do hens seem to recognize their own offspring after they have grown up? Do they get depressed when older chicks are sold/given away?
I know, silly question. Just curious! lol

I disagree. It depends on the age that they are given away. Once they are 6 weeks, yes, they just move on. If it is before 5- 6 weeks I have had hens look for their babies, clucking and clucking for them to come over and nestle under their feathers. On the other hand, I have one stupid bird that isn't even upset that I locked her out of the chick's area at age 2.5 weeks of age. So, actually, I don't "disagree" so much as I have to say "it depends on the hen". I have had hens stop laying for a couple of days when their favorite roo or sister hen has been taken from the flock. So I do think they notice, just different hens have different reactions to the change.

I think you misunderstood what I meant. By when they are done with them I mean when the kick them loose, set them free , whatever you want to call it. Once that point hits I have never had a hen in 100's of broody's care about their offspring again.
I never have and never will take a chick away from a broody as she is raising it. I could never do that

 

[ChickPrincess]

What I wanted to know. Thanks!

 

[Lynzi777]

Evening All,
Ducks put themselves in the coop again for night # 2!! Things are starting to look up with them! One less thing I'll have to worry about while I'm away next weekend.

Congrats on all the hatches!

Welcome newbies!

Stony, you're making me nervous on the taking the chicks away from a broody as I'd like to find homes for at least 2 of the 4 chicks that just hatched. I know Stella gets worried when I pick up one the chicks but calms right back down after I place it back. Hmmm guess I have some rethinking to do.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

 

[Breella]

I would like some opinions, If you have a fully fenced in run do you close the door to your coop at night? or leave it open so the chickens can let themselves out in the morning?

 

[Lynzi777]

Breella- I have much smaller coop and run than you do but I no longer close the door the coop but lock up the run at night. This way the chickens can get out of their coop in the morning while their waiting for me to let them out and scratch around for whatever feed is left on the run floor. Last year I used to close up the coop and the run but now, seeing as how I don't have many predators here and I made sure nothing can get into their run, I don't close up the coop. Just my opinion and what I do with what I have.

 

[Coupe]

I would like some opinions, If you have a fully fenced in run do you close the door to your coop at night? or leave it open so the chickens can let themselves out in the morning?

Is the top of the run covered ?
I have fencing on top of the run aswell, so i leave the coop door open.

 

[brahmapapa]

I would like some opinions, If you have a fully fenced in run do you close the door to your coop at night? or leave it open so the chickens can let themselves out in the morning?

the only fully fenced run that i would trust my chooks in would be double fenced eith cattle panels or other heavy duty fencing with 1/2" hardware cloth covering everything creating a good safety barrier, including overhead and floor, otherwise i close them in at night