Why Can't Chicks Grow Up Naturally?

[fowltemptress]

I let my hens raise their own chicks when I don't care whether the chicks grow into obnoxious, flighty birds who never let me handle them or get close enough to them to even begin the taming process. When I want nice, tame birds, I raise them myself.

 

[the1honeycomb]

I have a couple of chicks, raised by their hen mom. I have lost none thanks be to God.
It is easier than broody pens and heat lights!!

 

[Elite Silkies]

I've had several raise their own, but I do not think they do as good of a job. They lose a lot more than I do. Since my husband built my large brooder box, I have only lost 2 or 3 out of 50-60 chicks.

 

[Yonaton]

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They can and they can do it just fine so long as they have protection from predators.

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The heat lamps and such are for those who raise chicks as day-olds without a hen. If you have a hen who has hatched some eggs, then let her do what she does as it *IS* perfectly natural and they *CAN* do it all by themselves, since, just as you say, they've been doing so without our help for a long, long time.

 

[kimntep]

Raised my first batch in a brooder and all that entails, second one I let mama do everything and she's been wonderful! I'll never buy eggs or chicks again! I do have a great setup, so that's at least half of the battle. The coop is about 8x8 with a open front door and window with a fully enclosed yard attached to the front porch area (it was my daughter's playhouse) and on the right side there's a pop door that leads into a separate, attached and fully enclosed yard. The flock gets full run of the coop and front yard while Mary and her babies are in the side yard with a large hutch for nighttime lockup. They can see each other without being together and it's working great!

This is an old pic before the pop door was cut out, but you get the idea!

 

[warmfuzzies]

kimntep, I too loved having the hen do the work. My Cochins were the best mamas ever! I had one that happily hatched out three batches her first year, and adopted babies from another hen. She successfully raised 23 chicks at one time. She is the only chicken that I have cried over... she got hit on the road.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[Whimsy]

I have brooded chicks in a brooder and have had hens raise chicks also. I have 5 chicks right now with a hen, the chicks are a week old. Normally in KY the fall is warm until late October so I thought OK just one more time. Yep you guessed it, it has turned chilly. The babies are out skittering around in 50 degree weather!!!! The just run back under mom to warm up.

I keep the group in a 8 x 10 dog kennel in a small coop right next to the main run. All the other chickens come to chat regularly with the mom and to watch the babies. I am lucky this hen lets me sit in the kennel and pick up the babies. They ate out of my hand this morning. The first ones I raised the mom was not as calm and the chicks are flighty and will not come up to us.

 

[gmachicken]

I have had much success with our hens setting on eggs, maybe not exactly their own, in the larger coop setting. It was a bit crowded and we set up nest boxes that would keep them safe from the other hens. Then added runs so they could run about. When they could hop over the 'run' they were out with mama and away they went. It was work but fun.

This year we didn't do eggs but simply added chicks to broody mamas. One set was in the larger coop but this time in a large dog crate I added some small meshed deer fencing to keep them in. Then the mini coop went on sale and we moved them into their own yard, but seen by the other hens.

So we wanted a few more and put 2 broody bantams in with 7 chicks. What a hoot that was to watch!! The babies worked both of them just like people kids do. Both mama's were so protective of them even after making a run for it one day.

So it is really fun and though it was some work it was less of a problem when we work and go away etc. Hens know how to raise chicks.

So have fun.

 

[Time-Out]

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