Prepping Two Broods to Roost Up Early

centrarchid

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Two hen-hatched broods; first (12 chicks) is American Game hatched yesterday and second (9 chicks and counting) hatching now will be confined to rabbit cages for a couple of days with only short periods of free-range time. Hens will help with this as they will lead broods into rabbit pens each evening as they imprint on the location. Once chicks able to fly I will be taking them through a couple of steps that should have them roosting up by three weeks post-hatch. Both broods will be hen-raised through at least four weeks.

Figure 1. American Game hen with 12 chicks hatched July 29, 2017.
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Figure 2. Missouri Dominique hen with 9+ chicks hatched July 30, 2017.
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I think we are done hatching.

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Twenty-two fuzzy buddies. Twenty-four hatched although two did not make it. Brood will be a tight fit in the cage in about 3 weeks.
 
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Significant problem with the current rabbit cages in use. Chicks can get out through the material of cage because of spacing issues. By day three they can no longer do so. I had to move a cage from barn with heavy snake traffic because chicks kept falling out. Both cages in use currently in garage about 10' apart. Chicks still getting out but are in a secure location that will need to be cleaned up this weekend.

I have a cage that is chick tight, but only one and that with one used for road trips. The cage same brand but a little smaller and a whole lot tougher. Hen shown in the tougher cage is the same game with a previous brood that is now pushing 10 weeks. That brood started off as eleven but is now down to 8 ( like broods to average between 6 and 8 chicks 5 weeks post-hatch). They all roost up in the barn. They were put through same process except they got moved around a lot as working birds for extension / outreach purposes.

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This is yet another smaller brood (3 chicks) used in a broody rooster experiment where they still roost in cage above their fathers cock pen. This where my best cage is tied up.
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Current location. Mother now removed. Chicks now orbit around their father but they roost in cage rather than with him as intended. They want to be up and near daddy.
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In a couple of days the Missouri Dominique brood (22 chicks) will be moved back to barn where the cage will be placed up on a 55-gallon barrel and 4 x 4 treated lumber where everyone will spend all night through end of work day elevated above the ground. At end of work day the cage door will be opened so hen and brood can jump out and run around for about 2 hours. Cages will be placed on ground directly in in front of where it stays during he day. In the past I did all this within a 10' x 10' dog kennel but this round I have too many hens with chicks. Release days may need to be staggered. This group I want to roost up on the top of dog kennel panel.

Game hen brood (12 chicks) will be placed above ground on black plastic milk crates with setup under a cock pen. Cock pen will provide protection from sun, direct rain and keep dogs and possible predators at least 18" away from cage perimeter. This brood I want to roost up in the cock pen rather than a tree.
 
Either I will have to buy a bunch more of the small gray rabbit pens or hardware cloth will need to be installed on the larger black pens. A couple of the first brood are still able to get through holes with a great deal of effort four days post-hatch. The second brood does not seem as motivated to get out yet but based on feces someone is.
 
that stiped moma talk to chick! she not have house to tke them to?
 

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