I moved 30 4 - 7 day old chicks to 4 broody hens last night...two Cochin, a Buckeye, and a Wyandotte hen. All but the Buckeye were doing great with their chicks...taking them out to explore the run and find the food and water there.
The Black Wyandotte hen with 15 chicks ended up with 5 of the ten 7 day old chicks I gave to the Buckeye hen. All the Buckeye wanted to do today was cluck to them and stay in the nest. These chicks wanted food and water and were willing to leave the nest to go to the floor of the coop, but wouldn't go to the water or food just outside the door. She would get off the nest to call them back to her, but then get back up in the nest. The other five went to the two Cochin hens who were happy to get them.
The Black hen had her little ones out by the compost pile. I dropped one at a time in the midst of the scratching foraging chicks. The newbies got right to work. Each time she moved her brood, I would check to see that all the babies were following her. She took them to water, then shade, then to the shady side of the barn to hunt, then back to the brooder room for chick feed and then outside again. Only two babies got lost and had to be added back to the little flock. I'll check on them again soon. And tonight, I'll check to make sure all are with her when she goes to roost in the hen house in her normal spot under the 10 hole nest box.
I'm trying out some astroturf squares in the nest boxes this week. Son In Law had a whole bunch of 12 inch square samples. I'm thinking if the hens like them, they would be easy to wash and dry.
The Black Wyandotte hen with 15 chicks ended up with 5 of the ten 7 day old chicks I gave to the Buckeye hen. All the Buckeye wanted to do today was cluck to them and stay in the nest. These chicks wanted food and water and were willing to leave the nest to go to the floor of the coop, but wouldn't go to the water or food just outside the door. She would get off the nest to call them back to her, but then get back up in the nest. The other five went to the two Cochin hens who were happy to get them.
The Black hen had her little ones out by the compost pile. I dropped one at a time in the midst of the scratching foraging chicks. The newbies got right to work. Each time she moved her brood, I would check to see that all the babies were following her. She took them to water, then shade, then to the shady side of the barn to hunt, then back to the brooder room for chick feed and then outside again. Only two babies got lost and had to be added back to the little flock. I'll check on them again soon. And tonight, I'll check to make sure all are with her when she goes to roost in the hen house in her normal spot under the 10 hole nest box.
I'm trying out some astroturf squares in the nest boxes this week. Son In Law had a whole bunch of 12 inch square samples. I'm thinking if the hens like them, they would be easy to wash and dry.
