Our First Broody and Incubator Hatch: a Diary

[igorsMistress]

I locked up and Ruby has her chicks in the corner. No one seems to care one way or the other about the little family. The other girls look but that seems to be all.

Humidity in the incubator down to 65%

 

[meetthebubus]

It's good you are safe to lock away bc when those chicks get a bit older other hens will start teaching them pecking order too soon

I also have heard that once they get about a month old the mama could start teaching them pecking order too so you might have to watch for that and let the chicks be free

Anyhow just what I've read

 

[BlueBaby]

@igorsMistress Did any of those last one's hatch out yet?

 

[Perris]

Nest box out, milk crate in at floor level on its side.

I'm a novice to this and so is my broody, so sorry if this is a stupid question, but - can you please explain why you're doing this?
Also, I note from your photos that the waterer is raised off the floor - is this to stop the chicks inadvertently getting to it and drowning? And how do they drink then?

 

[igorsMistress]

@igorsMistress Did any of those last one's hatch out yet?

No, I just checked and nothing yet.

I'm a novice to this and so is my broody, so sorry if this is a stupid question, but - can you please explain why you're doing this?
Also, I note from your photos that the waterer is raised off the floor - is this to stop the chicks inadvertently getting to it and drowning? And how do they drink then?

There are no stupid questions except those you don't ask. Me and Ruby are novices too
The waterer was on that brick so litter hopefully won't get in it, but it's too high for the chicks yet so it's on the floor now. It gets junk in it but oh well.

I took out the nest box because mine hang on the wall and the milk crate is too tall to go underneath. It's not a terrible drop for the chicks to get out, they're just fine, but now they can't get back in. Ruby didn't like the milk crate so they're on the floor in the corner, the crate does help create a more cave like space though. I may put the nest box back in for the girls to use, I'm totally winging it right now.

 

[Perris]

thank you! I feel like I'm in the calm before the storm...hatch day is one week today! then I'll be in at the deep end too!

 

[igorsMistress]

It's good you are safe to lock away bc when those chicks get a bit older other hens will start teaching them pecking order too soon

I also have heard that once they get about a month old the mama could start teaching them pecking order too so you might have to watch for that and let the chicks be free

Anyhow just what I've read

When I locked up it was the whole coop. I haven't separated mama and chicks at all. Fortunately Ruby is the second in command. No one is bothering her or her chicks. They've looked in her nest and stuff but that's all.

 

[igorsMistress]

thank you! I feel like I'm in the calm before the storm...hatch day is one week today! then I'll be in at the deep end too!

I know the feeling lol. If your chickens were chicks when you first got them think about what you did for them when they were littles. Food and water where they can reach it and nothing to drown in. Mama will do the rest. Trust her.

 

[aart]

When I locked up it was the whole coop. I haven't separated mama and chicks at all. Fortunately Ruby is the second in command. No one is bothering her or her chicks. They've looked in her nest and stuff but that's all.

There's no reason to separate them, as long as the other birds are not fighting with mama or chicks, and hunkering down in a corner is just fine for mama and chicks to sleep....they don't need a 'walled' nest in your weather, probably better off without any 'walls'.

 

[igorsMistress]

There's no reason to separate them, as long as the other birds are not fighting with mama or chicks, and hunkering down in a corner is just fine for mama and chicks to sleep....they don't need a 'walled' nest in your weather, probably better off without any 'walls'.

Yup they're doing just fine in there. My flock is actually pretty laid back. Unless you're a pigeon.