Selfsufficientish.com

They're so cute when they're tiny!

At the moment, I have a 5wk old duckling wandering the garden with 2 6wk old chicks - the duckling doesn't want to know the other ducks but all 3 stay together - so cute!

Then I have 8 chicks & 16 ducklings between 2 & 3 wks old - they have been enjoying the sun in a purpose built 'playpen' I made for them

One of our muscovy ducks went broody & has been sat on 14 eggs for a week & today, our lavender maran has decided to hole up in a broody box with 8 eggs - woohoo! I love Spring!

nice pic would love to get some but i best build a pen for some first hehe

careful - its addictive...

This time last year, hubby was just building a coop & run for the first 3 girls.......

We now have 63 birds... 2 broodies on eggs, 8 eggs pipping in the incubator with a further 32 eggs still growing..... addictive? Naaa......

JulieSherris wrote:This time last year, hubby was just building a coop & run for the first 3 girls.......

We now have 63 birds... 2 broodies on eggs, 8 eggs pipping in the incubator with a further 32 eggs still growing..... addictive? Naaa......

Oh Julie,

Now remind me, which one of you has OCD?

Zoe

Hi... My name is Julie & I'm... I'm.... <deep breath> I'm a chickaholic....waits for applause.......

Is cold turkey an appropriate course of action, do you think?

Without having to start a new thread, can I hijack this one please?

After many attempts my cicken has just hatched an egg and we have a chick - yipppeee! Now Im all in a panic! The next box is high off the floor - should I move them? I have got a little run area that could do but if I move them both whats the chances of the Mum being stressed and staying away from the chick? Also bit worried about rats with them being on the floor.

Any advice please?

re rats -they can climb very easily - so i dont think there is an increased risk with moving to the floor. if you have a rat problem you need to make a run with mesh etc on it. with good luck you should be ok.

I have moved a hen and her chicks before, and there was no abandoning. Last year we even moved a hen and her single chick into the house, into our shower!! (very low temps outside.. was January - I wont be hatching then again!)
cant promise it wont happen, but i would move them, cos yes if the chick cant get back to mum for warmth, that would be bad.

so - has she definitely finished with the other eggs? or is she still sittng on them?

if she has done, then i would move them and it should work.

Hi Red,

Shes still sitting on 1 other egg which should be ready tomorrow. Perhaps I will move her after that one comes along. Im just worried that theyll fall from that height and hurt themselves.

any way you can kind of box them in for now?

We have an area sectioned off with an old door that makes a kind of run with another section of slatted wood for a roof. Had tried to put her in there with the eggs before but she didnt like it and ended up pushing it over! Just worried that she'll fret again if I put her in there and ignore the chicks. I thihnk I will try tomorrow and stay to watch what shes upto.

The other egg hatched this morn too Have moved her and them and shes fine so all should be good. Will I need a roof on them? Will the other hens try to interfer?

thats great news - company for the chicks

I've always kept my hens with chicks in a coup inside the main run, so there is no way the others can get to them, but they can see them - advantage too is the chick crumb is only eaten by hen and chicks.. not everyone.

red wrote:careful - its addictive...

oh you can spin them then