Silkie thread!

[flocknfoal]

Question: Can a chicken recognize which chicks are hers vs other chicks? Have you ever tried to switch chicks that a mama hen is raising? If so, did it work?

About a week ago I went out late one night and swapped fake eggs that my broody white hen had been setting for some 2 day old white chicks. Now I have someone who is interested in buying some white chicks. Yesterday I hatched some white chicks that are from SQ lines (the others were from Ideal Poultry). So I'm wondering could I go out there tonight, take one or two that she has and replace them with the whites that were just hatched? Would she accept the new ones, or would she know they are different chicks and leave them to freeze?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Question: Can a chicken recognize which chicks are hers vs other chicks?  Have you ever tried to switch chicks that a mama hen is raising?   If so, did it work? 

About a week ago I went out late one night and swapped fake eggs that my broody white hen had been setting for some 2 day old white chicks. Now I have someone who is interested in buying some white chicks. Yesterday I hatched some white chicks that are from SQ lines (the others were from Ideal Poultry).  So I'm wondering could I go out there tonight, take one or two that she has and replace them with the whites that were just hatched?  Would she accept the new ones, or would she know they are different chicks and leave them to freeze? 

I have done this several times without any problems. I often hatch them in the incubator and pop them under a broody at night. Just be sure to monitor the ' ring ins '.

 

[ESofVA]

I don't mean this to sound rude or anything, but I don't understand having chickens indoors. The highs here have been in the single digits. The lows, with the wind chill, have been 8 to15 degrees below zero. I have 15 chicks in a brooder in the garage. Grant it, the garage isn't as cold as out in the wind, and they do have a brooder light, but they are doing fine in there. All of the other chickens, including a mama with 3 chicks, are in the coop. The run is covered, and enclosed with hardware cloth, and there is a brooder light in the coop with the mom and her chicks. Even if I had an extra room, I just think it would be too smelly and dusty to have them indoors.

I hope your incubator is set up safely. Mine caught fire last week and burned my chicks, brooder pen, and an antique dry sink underneath. The smoke and heat damage is so great that the windows, doors, wiring, 2 freezers, and so many other items they have sent 2 men to help my DH inventory. The wall all have to come out, a pod is to come to store the items that can be salvaged and cleaned. A big green dumpster is coming to put in everything else. Fortunately we have good insurance.
My new chicks came in Wed and I have my incubator full of hatching eggs. It is cold here too. Everything is now in my guest bathroom in a storage tub in our bath tub. The chicks that died in the fire were in there earlier when they were tiny. When they get too big to be inside the house but not big enough to go into the pens, they go in the garage.
I chatted with the owner at our local SS today and he told me he knew another person that burned their garage down that way. I ordered a Brinsea Ecoglow 50 last week. I am not taking anymore chances.
Besides, when mine are that small I like having them where I can monitor them more closely.
There are a lot of good reasons for chickens in the household. They aren't any dirtier, smell any worse than many other kinds of pets people have. Wonder how many dogs and cats have "accidents" in the floor? They don't chew or claw furniture. They can live in a cage...so what is the difference? We have cats and dogs. We don't have chickens as pets in the house. The other day, I was just wondering why parents set up a cage foe a couple of bantams or even one? I bet they don't smell as bad as ferrets!

 

[Chickie Momma]

I have house chickens. Silkies as a matter of fact. In a living area and they don't smell bad! My 2 large breed hens live in the large unused den. I do want to move them outdoors into the fresh air where they can free range, but smell. No. I take care of them like I do the dogs and cats. The cat boxes smell the worst! I love my chickens and care for them like any of my other pets. If they get sick I treat them. They get a hospital bed and sleep in my livingroom. See the thread here on BYC "people with house chickens". There are chicken diapers and very loved chickens. Some come in because of unfortunate incidents in the coop or outside and end up staying in, some just grow up and stay in...in little coops at night or modified dog crates. Again I love my chickens...in or out. Losing one kills me a little everytime, but I love chickens!!!!!

 

[flocknfoal]

I hope your incubator is set up safely. Mine caught fire last week and burned my chicks, brooder pen, and an antique dry sink underneath. The smoke and heat damage is so great that the windows, doors, wiring, 2 freezers, and so many other items they have sent 2 men to help my DH inventory. The wall all have to come out, a pod is to come to store the items that can be salvaged and cleaned. A big green dumpster is coming to put in everything else. Fortunately we have good insurance.
My new chicks came in Wed and I have my incubator full of hatching eggs. It is cold here too. Everything is now in my guest bathroom in a storage tub in our bath tub. The chicks that died in the fire were in there earlier when they were tiny. When they get too big to be inside the house but not big enough to go into the pens, they go in the garage.
I chatted with the owner at our local SS today and he told me he knew another person that burned their garage down that way. I ordered a Brinsea Ecoglow 50 last week. I am not taking anymore chances.
Besides, when mine are that small I like having them where I can monitor them more closely.
There are a lot of good reasons for chickens in the household. They aren't any dirtier, smell any worse than many other kinds of pets people have. Wonder how many dogs and cats have "accidents" in the floor? They don't chew or claw furniture. They can live in a cage...so what is the difference? We have cats and dogs. We don't have chickens as pets in the house. The other day, I was just wondering why parents set up a cage foe a couple of bantams or even one? I bet they don't smell as bad as ferrets!

I'm so sorry for your loss! My incubator (HovaBator Genesis 1588) is in the house. The brooder is in the detached garage, and the chicken coops & pens are attached to a carport on the far side of the garage. I do worry about fires. All of the brooder lights have the safety guards. The clamp is clamped to some screws so that I can adjust the light, but I don't rely on the clamp to keep it from falling. All of the brooder lights are connected with chains to a closed eye bolt. So, I'm pretty sure nothing could fall, but I don't know if it could still start a fire without falling? Do you know what caused your fire to start? What else should we all do to prevent fires?

 

[I<3MyChickens-Jewel&Flash]

Hey guys. I got 9 eggs in incubator. Its only been two days but I'm already seeing development. Two eggs were very poresy ... The pores were huge and no change at all. Egg number 1,5,6,7, and 8 were fertile. 2 and 3 idk yet. Going to give. few more days.

one egg in particular was larger development. Number 8. Its veins were seen. Very well and its embryo heartbeat. I find it crazy its been in incubator for only 2 days. Got hem 4pm on Feb 6th.

its the only egg I'm 100 % positive is fertile. The others have a speck moving inside when you turn egg.

I'm excited. The two maybes idk yet. One eggs a bit deformed shape. Not pointy in any end. The other is white and pores in it.

 

[Chickie Momma]

How eggciting

 

[K Epp]

I hope your incubator is set up safely. Mine caught fire last week and burned my chicks, brooder pen, and an antique dry sink underneath. The smoke and heat damage is so great that the windows, doors, wiring, 2 freezers, and so many other items they have sent 2 men to help my DH inventory. The wall all have to come out, a pod is to come to store the items that can be salvaged and cleaned. A big green dumpster is coming to put in everything else. Fortunately we have good insurance.
My new chicks came in Wed and I have my incubator full of hatching eggs. It is cold here too.  Everything is now in my guest bathroom in a storage tub in our bath tub. The chicks that died in the fire were in there earlier when they were tiny. When they get too big to be inside the house but not big enough to go into the pens, they go in the garage.
I chatted with the owner at our local SS today and he told me he knew another person that burned their garage down that way. I ordered a Brinsea Ecoglow 50 last week. I am not taking anymore chances.
Besides, when mine are that small I like having them where I can monitor them more closely.
There are a lot of good reasons for chickens in the household. They aren't any dirtier, smell any worse than many other kinds of pets people have. Wonder how many dogs and cats have "accidents" in the floor?  They don't chew or claw furniture. They can live in a cage...so what is the difference? We have cats and dogs. We don't have chickens as pets in the house. The other day, I was just wondering why parents set up a cage foe a couple of bantams or even one? I bet they don't smell as bad as ferrets!

So sorry for your loss. I have my lights zip tied in several places to unsure they don't fall. The DH is a fireman and hates the idea of best lamps and lights. He still doesn't like me using them, but has agreed it would take a act of sabotage for one to fall.

I have a Brinsea and love it.


I would not trust the clamps on the lights use something in addition to them.

 

[RockerHen]

Quick picture update, of a young pullet,

my showgirl cockerel,

And one of the cuties that hatched yesterday.

 

[Sylvester017]

To ESofVA

Heartbreaking to lose so-o-o much but lucky not your whole house. Still a pain to deal with.

We had an A/C on for some parakeets & a cockateil during a heatwave & when we came home to open the front door, smoke hit us. I thought the house was on fire. Old electrical wiring, very old (50+ yrs) started smoldering on a wall in the closed den which is odd because the A/C was in another room but apparently the circuits were connected to each other and overheated - the electric box had automatically shut off. However, the wall was still smoldering in the den & had the door been left open the smoldering wall would've caught fire if more oxygen was able to get into the room. The house was very heated because all the electricity shut off but luckily the birds were ok since their room door was closed & no smoke got in. Needless to say we remodeled the old creaky cottage w/ new plumbing, new attic, & new circuitry box & new wiring throughout every room and the attached garage. Nothing like a good scare to motivate us!