Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MrsNorthie]

I'm looking forward to (hopefully) having a broody to hatch chicks for me in future and I know it's best for them to be raised by their own species, but a part of me is still kind of sad at the idea of being much less involved in their lives at the very start. It's something I really enjoy, and I seem to be good at it based on how many farm jobs I've ended up being the default person in charge of babies of whatever species who need some human help.

Fingers crossed it'll be one of the more friendly and trusting birds who goes broody, and not a bitey monster raising feral human-haters.

I loved raising the chicks, they are so sweet, but since watching the broody hen and the broody turkey turkey hens, raise their chicks is so beautiful. You are still involved, you are supporting the broody even if she is bitey broodzilla, and you can always win them over with treats (the bringer of food is always a friend. ).

 

[C Siena]

We will never use an incubator again. It is just to wonderful letting the hens raise the chicks, even though ours are extremely welcoming of new family members.

Unless one doesn't have a broody, then incubator is the only option. To begin our flock, our friend/neighbor, lent us her 2 bantam silkies and 12 eggs.

 

[kattabelly]

I loved raising the chicks, they are so sweet, but since watching the broody hen and the broody turkey turkey hens, raise their chicks is so beautiful. You are still involved, you are supporting the broody even if she is bitey broodzilla, and you can always win them over with treats (the bringer of food is always a friend. ).

Even the feral human haters can be tamed.

Oh yeah I know that, and I enjoy that work too. I haven't been able to keep my own chickens until recently but I've been around plenty of other people's flocks, including various broodies on a spectrum from teddybear to broodzilla (great description ). You don't get to be as involved or spend so much time just sitting with them when you're meant to be working though. My youngest birds are 8½ weeks old now and until a couple of weeks ago, if I was sat in a low squat just watching them they'd all try to cuddle up under my bum or on top of my feet when they decided it was nap time.

I've been a bit too successful with this in the past and ended up with a calf (who went from wanting nothing to do with people to a total cuddlebug, just with patient work in an open field) and his mum who would actually run away from their owners bringing food if they noticed me, bucketless, in the opposite direction

 

[kattabelly]

(Hope this is an accepted currency for incubator chat tax payments)

 

[SimpleJenn]

NavyBeans and the sprouts. Chick #4 was behind momma.

 

[fluffycrow]

I'm looking forward to (hopefully) having a broody to hatch chicks for me in future and I know it's best for them to be raised by their own species, but a part of me is still kind of sad at the idea of being much less involved in their lives at the very start. It's something I really enjoy, and I seem to be good at it based on how many farm jobs I've ended up being the default person in charge of babies of whatever species who need some human help.

Fingers crossed it'll be one of the more friendly and trusting birds who goes broody, and not a bitey monster raising feral human-haters.

I’ve never been particularly interested in having cuddly birds. With the exception of Big Red and two serama hens, I can’t easily touch any of the others. I find the trust that they have placed in me, making them comfortable enough to exhibit their natural behaviours in my presence far more rewarding.

At the same time, I really enjoy the incubator process. It has nothing to do with getting them accustomed to me, but rather how fascinating I find watching the embryo develop, the precision with which it pips, and zips. Of course, all this comes with great negative side effects for the chick itself, so I’m really trying to cut back on artificial incubation, even if that’s easier said than done

 

[fluffycrow]

I loved raising the chicks, they are so sweet, but since watching the broody hen and the broody turkey turkey hens, raise their chicks is so beautiful. You are still involved, you are supporting the broody even if she is bitey broodzilla, and you can always win them over with treats (the bringer of food is always a friend. ).

That’s the real privilege of working with a broody. Or rather, she’s in charge, and you’re more like an underpaid assistant trying to make the coffee right so that you don’t piss off your boss .

My beautiful Cruella didn’t want much to do with me, unless she was raising a brood. I would still get disciplined, but I was allowed to feed and water the chicks, as well as touch them, if Cruella was having a good day. Her offspring grew up wanting absolutely nothing to do with me, which I was more than happy with, but when one of those went broody last year, she behaved just like her mum.

Foureira, a very tame serama hen, who will let me hold her and work on her feet for quite some time (persistent SLM and bad nails), became a total broody monster. I’m talking fly attacks whenever I got near. Her son, now almost a grown rooster, absolutely hates me. No complaints there

.

Galadriel, as well as the only daughter of hers to go broody(now gone), were/are the calmest broodies I’ve had. No pecks when I approach the nest, or even when I take eggs from under them. Brahma blood, I’m guessing

 

[fuzzi]

My first chicks were day olds that I brooded. Some were friendly, some not.

I since have added chicks these ways:

• 1 group hatched & brooded entirely by broody hen
• 3 groups partially incubated, but then placed under hens once eggs were close to hatching, or shortly after hatching
• 1 group purchased and placed under broody when her eggs didn't hatch

I like the ease of broodys doing the work.

The OEGB chicks are finally roosting!

Four out of six, anyway.

The others roosted on a log, below.

They'll get there...

 

[fuzzi]

That’s the real privilege of working with a broody. Or rather, she’s in charge, and you’re more like an underpaid assistant trying to make the coffee right so that you don’t piss off your boss .

My beautiful Cruella didn’t want much to do with me, unless she was raising a brood. I would still get disciplined, but I was allowed to feed and water the chicks, as well as touch them, if Cruella was having a good day. Her offspring grew up wanting absolutely nothing to do with me, which I was more than happy with, but when one of those went broody last year, she behaved just like her mum.

Foureira, a very tame serama hen, who will let me hold her and work on her feet for quite some time (persistent SLM and bad nails), became a total broody monster. I’m talking fly attacks whenever I got near. Her son, now almost a grown rooster, absolutely hates me. No complaints thereView attachment 4186727.

Galadriel, as well as the only daughter of hers to go broody(now gone), were/are the calmest broodies I’ve had. No pecks when I approach the nest, or even when I take eggs from under them. Brahma blood, I’m guessing

This is POW worthy.

 

[RoyalChick]

That’s the real privilege of working with a broody. Or rather, she’s in charge, and you’re more like an underpaid assistant trying to make the coffee right so that you don’t piss off your boss .

My beautiful Cruella didn’t want much to do with me, unless she was raising a brood. I would still get disciplined, but I was allowed to feed and water the chicks, as well as touch them, if Cruella was having a good day. Her offspring grew up wanting absolutely nothing to do with me, which I was more than happy with, but when one of those went broody last year, she behaved just like her mum.

Foureira, a very tame serama hen, who will let me hold her and work on her feet for quite some time (persistent SLM and bad nails), became a total broody monster. I’m talking fly attacks whenever I got near. Her son, now almost a grown rooster, absolutely hates me. No complaints thereView attachment 4186727.

Galadriel, as well as the only daughter of hers to go broody(now gone), were/are the calmest broodies I’ve had. No pecks when I approach the nest, or even when I take eggs from under them. Brahma blood, I’m guessing

I love that picture.