I have very limited hatching experience but out of the 5 chicks I've had, Pru has raised 3 of them successfully from laying them to adulthood. Matilda was raised as a lone chick by me and Penelope murdered her younger sibling, who hatched a week after her.
Pru has done an exceptional job. When she hatched Ferdy and Penelope, I kept her on her own in the small coop but from hatch day I put a metal grille over the door so everyone could visit and get a look at the chicks during the day time. Once she was ready to take them out I made a safe area for them where the girls could look but not touch and by 4 wks they had the run of the garden with everyone. I was cautious about how much interaction I allowed when they were very small as I had 3 standard sized girls mixing with bantam chicks.
When Pru hatched Stanley, I wasn't even aware she'd had an egg stowed away until I lifted her off the nest in the big coop (she'd been broody for 7 wks and I'd decided enough was enough) and discovered couple of hours old Stan. I decided it probably wasn't a good idea to try to move her so I just let them be. The other girls were very curious about him and used to visit about 20 times a day! Sometimes they'd even bring treats for them. I was worried about Ferdy's reaction but he was amazing with Stan from day one. As soon as Stan was old enough to come out, he'd escort them everywhere! He made it his job to bring them both to the back door so they could have breakfast without having to compete with everyone else. He did the same at tea time. He hardly left their side. I put a mesh screen to separate them in the nest box from the ladies at night as Clara tried to evict Pru a few times. The only other 'issue' was Penelope's repeated attempts to steal Stan for herself. She would see him briefly unattended and plop herself down on top of him then look round in all innocence when Pru and Ferdy were frantically hunting for him.
Stan spent his first 3 months being terrified of Penelope as a result.
I've never hatched in an incubator so I can't really make a comparison but Matilda was raised in the house on his own and really didn't want to go outside with the 'scary' big ladies . Ferdy and Penelope integrated well quickly, having had more exposure to everyone but i would say Stan, being mixed in with everyone from day 1, has integrated the best. Gladys has a history of being absolutely vile to cockerels but she took to Stan straightaway. I suspect it might be due to him being raised in the big coop with her.
was my first momma brooder grow out/ isolation/ intro coop made mostly from scraps. The theory really worked so DH improved on it.
. My spangles are a small flock and very cohesive. If this goes well, think I'll forever let Hennie hatch any chicks I do of theirs from now on. Have another doctor appointment tomorrow, but I'll try to get pics of the cuteness this weekend.
