The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

I also had a hatchery "RIR" brood 2 clutches for me. Hasn't gone broody since 2013 however

 

[slordaz]

the BR is staying with her chicks(6 weeks olds) still even though she's started laying and is getting mad cause we take her egg she lays, she's acting like she wants to brood more eggs already, heaven help me with that one

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wow!

My RIR stayed w/her chicks until they were 13 wks old. It was hilarious watching those big kids still trying to go under her. Then...when she was done that was it. She wouldn't even let them roost next to her!







Look at these huge birds trying to get under her!

 

[slordaz]

Wow!

My RIR stayed w/her chicks until they were 13 wks old. It was hilarious watching those big kids still trying to go under her. Then...when she was done that was it. She wouldn't even let them roost next to her!







Look at these huge birds trying to get under her!

to cute, yeah hers still get under her too when the winds blowing cold or climb up on her back, Thinking of pulling her out and putting her back with the flock but then I got one in the brooding box and that wouldn't be pretty as the BR don't share at all

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Funny cute. My bantam never stop being mom, the kids just start drifting away, but the still roost next to them. If my shipped chicks ever get here I might return some chicks to my hatching mom. She has two eggs that have potential but I hear no peeping or scratching so they are probably no good and I will dispose of them after today.

My chicks are all thriving including the "dead" one who shows no sign of damage. There are 9.

I use a heat lamp, and since reading some think they make the chicks crazy from 24 hour lights, I'm watching them, but every time I look in they are peacefully sleeping or quietly pecking around. I do like that I can control their heat and I think it helped the chilled one recover. I am trying to not be biased, because I like the control a heat lamp gives me.

 

[Molpet]

Funny cute. My bantam never stop being mom, the kids just start drifting away, but the still roost next to them. If my shipped chicks ever get here I might return some chicks to my hatching mom. She has two eggs that have potential but I hear no peeping or scratching so they are probably no good and I will dispose of them after today.

My chicks are all thriving including the "dead" one who shows no sign of damage. There are 9.

I use a heat lamp, and since reading some think they make the chicks crazy from 24 hour lights, I'm watching them, but every time I look in they are peacefully sleeping or quietly pecking around. I do like that I can control their heat and I think it helped the chilled one recover. I am trying to not be biased, because I like the control a heat lamp gives me.

I use a heating pad instead of the lamp.. they get the heat and dark nights https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use a heating pad instead of the lamp.. they get the heat and dark nights https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

I am wanting to see if I notice anything as far as behavior, of course it's only day 2, they seem calm and happy.

My thought on a heat pad is the chicks don't always make a correct decision about staying warm, especially the first week, as shown by the chick who got out from under the mom and almost died from it.

The heat lamp allows me to decide what is best. I'm a control freak sometimes and the heat plates remove that type of control. I hadn't been aware of the idea that folks thought that is was bad to use a heat lamp, so now that I am, I'm paying attention more to see if I see anything. I've always used a heat lamp, I use a 125 watt bulb which is less intense than the usual 250.

I like knowing my chicks are the temperature I want them to be. I can warm up a chilled chick, but a heat plate requires a chick to do it itself.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@oldhenlikesdogs

I want to see some photos of the new babies...how are they doing?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I didn't get new pictures of my hatched chicks, i ended up with 9, my husband checked the two remaining eggs and they were both dead, so that was it. I did finally get my 25 shipped chicks, all are alive and eating and drinking, the PO sent them 50 miles north of us, my husband went and got them for me, they are so cute.

 

[JanetMarie]

Here's two momma's boys. One left mom at 22 weeks when he became interested in girls, and the other I took from mom at 24 weeks, when mom started molting.