How to raise Backyard Chickens: RE: [CHICKENS-101] day old chicks

Deb,

If you have a large dog crate, lure her in with some scratch or watermelon or something tasty. You can put a tarp over half or three quarters of the crate to make it private. Bedding and a stick for her to roost if she wants.

I would be very worried about the chick you put in with the broody hens. Chickens are horrible to chicks and they may kill it. I can’t tell you how many dead chicks we have found in our poultry yard that, unbeknown to us were hatched by very stealth hens.

We had a pair of guineas show up with 16 keets last year and the chickens were trying to get them……the poor guineas were screeching and frantic……..my dh caught them all and put them in a tote and brought them to the brooder…….we raised them. Actually, we sold them three days later………..all of them. We were really having a run on guineas last year!

Laura

Laura Roberts

R Half Pint Farm

Spotsylvania, VA

From: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Deborah Garland
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 12:50 PM
To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CHICKENS-101] day old chicks

One of my hens walked out of the bush today with a bunch of baby chicks
following her. What do I do now???

I tried catching them to put them in the chicken coop but they all
scattered and the hen freaked out. I decided to just leave them alone
and see what she would do. She went back into the bush but she is
keeping close by. I did manage to catch one chick and I put it in with
my broody hens. Will they accept this chick as their own?? It was
peeping pretty loudly for awhile but seemed to settle down. I have 3
broody hens who haven't left the nest box on their own for the past 3 or
4 weeks.

I am not really set up to raise chicks, I usually buy my hens ready to lay.

Should I just let her try and raise them in the bush? We are on 120
acres and there is a lot of wild life out there. My 20 hens are all free
range but they do go into the coop at night where I lock them away.
Obviously this hen made a nest somewhere and kept herself safe for the
past month. I am worried about the lack of water. We are in the middle
of a drought and there isn't the usually streams and puddles that would
be around in past years. Should I put out some water for them??

I really am at a loss here. I would hate for the chicks to die if I
could do something to save them.

Any advice please
Debbie