Raising Baby Chick-Along

[WVduckchick]

Prissy hatched all 5 today!
She wouldn't let me see them all, but i got a glimpse of 4, and pulled 5 empty eggs from her. Then saw a fairly wet chick. So I'll give her till morning to check further.


Also have a bantam cochin hen due tomorrow. Her sister is sitting alongside, like a good aunt, ready to help out.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

@WVduckchick !!! I just can't help but giggle when I see chicks peeking out from under a broody. Cuteness overload!

 

[WVduckchick]

@WVduckchick !!! I just can't help but giggle when I see chicks peeking out from under a broody. Cuteness overload!

Totally agree! doesn't get much cuter than a baby under momma.

 

[Finge]

Who else has outdoor brooders?
I recently bought a coop and run from a graduated student from my old school, made to hold broilers for a contest, so it has a heat lamp and came with some feeders and waterers. I'm not sure what I think about it, but I like it so far, It sits in my chicken pen, so my adult 5 hens and 2 roos can get use to the chicks and socialize them without killing and/or pecking at them.

 

[WVduckchick]

Absolutely brood outdoors, through the spring, summer and fall! I only keep littles inside during heavy winter weather, and even in the winter, they are outside by 2-3 weeks at most!

 

[AUChickenGal]

My June chicks are 5 weeks old now, and Hootie's babies will be 1 week old tomorrow. There's a whole lot of cuteness around here, and a lot of drama as the flock adapts to the new normal.

The bigger chicks have been venturing out of their panic room more often lately; they were all out in the run with the flock when I came home for lunch today. Three of the adults just ignore them, but my young Buff Orpington pullet bullies them a little (she's tires of being on the bottom of the pecking order!), and Hootie is an absolute witch to them (she was the alpha hen even before she went broody). I'm really hoping she settles down soon! The Australorp, RIR, and Delaware are pretty bold and willing to run to me for help when they've had too much of the big chickens, but the Faverolles is still very, very timid, both with the other chickens and with me.

Hootie's littles are doing great! The flock completely ignores them, so at least their integration will be easier. They aren't always great about following her out the coop door, and they don't appreciate being redirected, but they're already foraging and spending more time outside than in.

 

[calichicken]

Prissy hatched all 5 today!
She wouldn't let me see them all, but i got a glimpse of 4, and pulled 5 empty eggs from her. Then saw a fairly wet chick. So I'll give her till morning to check further.
View attachment 1080377

Also have a bantam cochin hen due tomorrow. Her sister is sitting alongside, like a good aunt, ready to help out.
View attachment 1080376

CONGRATS!! I just love all your o-broodies...lol!

 

[Jessimom]

Well, as I've said before, I'm replacing the roof on my house. My city requires an inspector come and approve the work once the plywood decking is on. They usually require a 2 day lead - call and say you are ready, and they will call back with an appt for 2 days later. We called around 4pm yesterday, thinking we had until tomorrow to get all roosters off my property. Well the guy gave us a 2 1/2 hour warning - called at 7, saying he'd be here before noon. I loaded my truck with all the roos in dog kennels. We drove off when he arrived. Guy was awesome - Showed up around 9:15, checked out the roof and never looked at anything else. Told us he was RETIRING TODAY, and he'd always wanted to come up our driveway to see what was up here, but never had a reason. When he saw the ticket with our address, he volunteered to come out. He was super nice. Signed off on the roof and never said a THING about my chickens.

Well, my mom was the one that drove off with the roos, she saw the inspector leave, so came home. I had 5 set off by themselves to go the processing place today - I called and they said they only process on Sat and Sun now. So, I found someone local that takes roos and processes them for his family. But while we were working that out, my roofer stopped by to pick up the money for the supplies. He grew up with chickens. He saw the roos that were on our porch and asked for 1 or 2. So, I split the cage of 5 set for the stew pot and gave 2 to him (to live in his yard, not necessarily be eaten), and sent the other 3 locally. Turns out the local guy's breeding roo just died, so he might end up keeping at least 1 of the ones I sent over as a roo for his flock, not just dinner. So 5 set to die, at least 3 get spared the dinner table for a little longer!!

The rest got put back in their isolation areas in the back coop and the garage. I hope to have takers for my silkies and for my Sebrights. I still don't know what to do with the Bantam EE's or the Seramas. They are so TINY.

 

[WVduckchick]

CONGRATS!! I just love all your o-broodies...lol!

I risked the health of my hand to pull these out for individual pics, but she actually didn't fight me too badly.
And Oh, i was shocked to find another empty shell this morning, so 6 hatched, not just 5.
I had given her 7, thought i pulled 2 clears, but was really only 1!

Got inside and realized i only had pics of 5, so when i went back out, i didn't know which light chick i had missed. I had missed the one in the back.

 

[AUChickenGal]

I risked the health of my hand to pull these out for individual pics, but she actually didn't fight me too badly.

They're so cute! I might have missed this earlier, but what breed(s) are they?