Advice needed

Ajacksonno · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:26 pm

Ok, well as i don't have an incubator I always just let the good ol' broody hens to hatch all the eggs, and obviously planning on doing this with the dozen i'm hopefully getting soon.
What i was wondering is, does anyone here let the hens hatch the chicks, then move the chicks under a brooder light etc to be hand reared?
I was thinking of maybe doing this so i'll hopefully have a higher survival rate (safer from eagles etc) but i was also planning on leaving some of the pekin eggs under the hens as well so they can still hatch a baby to keep for themselves ( a win win situation?)

Just wondering if this was an ok idea

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:04 pm

Hi Alice,

This is exactly what I do with most of mine. It works well for me, except for the guilt I feel when stealing the babies from the faithful mum who's been sitting on them for 3 weeks.

I have been thinking about leaving a couple with her this time, but then you do have the risk of predator attacks etc - the hens do seem to get over their babies being stolen, once they get back to the flock and eat and play in the dirt again (at least I think they do....).

Deb :-D

pjh · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:01 pm

I go the other way guys---give the mum extra babies from the bator as well as her own----far less work, and for me and my (supposedly delicate ) breed a much better survival rate----now that I have the predation problem sorted------I keep mum and bubs in rabbit hutches ------work fine, cheers p

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:52 pm

How long do you leave the chicks with the mum, pjh? And how long do they stay in the rabbit hutch?

I can see the advantages of leaving them with the hen, but as ours are all pets I have three little children who love to hand raise the chicks as well!

I have 5 eggs due to hatch tomorrow or Wednesday and I'm still trying to decide which way to go. I'll see what hatches first and then decide!

So, Alice, I am really sitting on the fence on this after all!

jo-chicken · **Posted:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:51 pm

Yes, I've done this. Good idea to do it within 24hours of hatching though otherwise they tend to morn mother too much and you never know you might end up with some really "screwed up chickies" :lol:

Of course I am joking about the last part.

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:17 pm

jo-chicken wrote:

Yes, I've done this. Good idea to do it within 24hours of hatching though otherwise they tend to morn mother too much and you never know you might end up with some really "screwed up chickies" :lol:

Of course I am joking about the last part.

Yes nothing worse than a chook with abandonment issues. They tend to bully all the other chooks around them, then head over to the corner of the run and start whining about how all it's problems are a direct result from not being loved enough my it's mother

Ajacksonno · **Posted:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:59 pm

Nothing worse than 'messed up' chicks, they'll go emo on me

I'm still waiting to hear about the eggs as they weren't sure till the end of this week whether there'd be enough (had previous orders).
So now i'm looking into getting a trio of large buff laced wyandottes, really good quality ones at that, and at the bargain price of $120 :-D

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:58 pm

Well, we got home this afternoon and had three and a half chicks hatched (after dinner it was four!) :-D

I was leaning towards leaving them with the hen, but my children were pleading to bring them down to the house, so we now have four babies snoozing in the incubator.

There is still one egg hatching under the hen. I will decide tomorrow whether or not to put a couple back under her.

Great hatch rate, and so cute! Photos tomorrow!!

Deb

Ajacksonno · **Posted:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:00 pm

Well done! Can't wait to see photos! :-D

What breed?

My mum is the only thing stopping me from raising my own babies

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:14 pm

Knowing you Alice(even though it's only been a little while, but seems much longer in internet time

), you'll get your own way and will be raising your own chicks before too long :lol:

AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Advice needed

Who is on the Forum