Which is best for bonding?????? Need help as quickly as possible....

[Momma_Cluck]

We are letting our OE Banty hatch 3 eggs from silkies and other banties (don't know what each is till they hatch!)

We let her hatch one at Christmas, and removed the chick as soon as it was almost hatched (it had problems hatching, and she attacked it.)
"Twitters" is now 6 weeks old, and doing great, but is somewhat skittish with everyone-- even tho we are all the company he/she's ever had...

We want these chicks to bond to Us and be "hand raised" so they are friendly pets... does that mean removing them as soon as they hatch, or can we let "momma" brood them the first few days without them being skittish of us??????

The 1st is a Black Silkie-- the other 2 could be either Silkies, Sebright mix, or Mille FLuer D'Uccle mix (like Twitters).

 

[ursusarctosana]

Quote:
I would like to know the same thing, please.

 

[austinhart123]

well depends whats more important to you, taking babies away from their mother and stressing her and her babies out by seperating them and raising them yurself so they will be docile, or letting the mom raise them just hold them alot so they are used to human interaction

Edited moderation to remove inappropriate content:
5. No teasing, mocking, ridiculing, or otherwise making fun at other member's expense.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

they aren't HER babies-- they are silkies, she is a very small OE Banty who went broody on us, so we let her "do her thing".....


She's NOT a permanant indoor bird... she's in just so the larger birds would leave her alone while she was broody-- These chicks will be INDOOR birds for 4-H.... and won't be with the flock.

I just wanted to know if there is anyone that had also used a surragate to hatch (as opposed to an incubator) left them with her a couple days, or took them right away?

-- what do you USUALLY do when a bird goes broody?
You usually Break her of it.... I'm sure that stresses her just as much as taking a chick before she bonds with it!.

Edited by moderation to remove response to inappropriate content

 

[hinkjc]

I have used broodies to hatch for me. As soon as the peeps hatch, I bring them inside to hand raise and get them used to human interaction. Indoor raised chicks are typically friendlier birds.

In my experience, the mother hen fusses very little, if at all. In most cases, she will get up once the eggs/chicks are gone and go about her normal routine of being a chicken.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

Thanks Hun! That helps...
we just wanted to do what was least stressful to them, yet still have hand-raised "Pet Chickens"...

(and thanks for fixing the post!)