[muntjac]

thats because the first thing a chick sees it automatically calls it mom . i have seen them adopt a wooden spoon left in the coop after i put food in for the mom / if you show your face to incubator chicks they will be ur babies from then on . i dont like incubators myself altho for others who want to use them is fine i like natures way in all things a real mom can show chicks how to feed and what not to eat etc  yopu cant keep chicks under an incubator once you put them in a pen outside .mom chirrups n they all run for cover under her wings  much nicer in my book

[MontyTom]

Hey, Karl.  You can see from the pic what a good looking mom they've got, eh!  Poor things probably chirp out of fright!  :shock:

[MontyTom]

Too right about incubator.  I will like to use the banty's (when I get some instead) in future.  Not keen on checking machine every day - call me idle but I find it a pain.  Good for experience though.

Yet another question:  should you turn the eggs in the incubator every 12 hours even if you have an autoturn machine?

[muntjac]

no , if its werking , yes if its not.if its not get a new one   moms turn the eggs more than a few times a day .i used to check mine by putting o's n x's on them never bothered after that

[MontyTom]

Just thinking of a reason why that chick's neck was deformed (the sick one of mine) - thinking perhaps I didn't turn them enough and it developed in wrong position??  My machine turns them constantly each hour.

[muntjac]

no point worrying about it mate it could have been anything . a drop in temp from a draft can upset them

[Kerry]

take it out they dont ned it . if you had reason to make them lay for commercial reasons you would put lights in ona  timer  so the light came on to make the days longer as chickens need a longday light period to tempt them to lay . so no need for the torch  they wil probably see it as a longer day only and stay outside . go and lock them up half hour after dusk an i think you will soon find they get into the habit of going inside  

Hi muntjac, just had to let you know, I think Thelma and Louise have been playing games with me. Just got home, been down to the greenhouse / coop, no sign of them. Panicked, fetched a torch, and the little beggars were inside. They had the cheek to blink when I held the torch up as if to say "do you mind, we are trying to sleep". I'm thrilled they've done it on their own.
By the way, hubby took outside fairy lights down last night, maybe that was stopping them going in!! All I need now is my first egg. Watch this space.    

[Kerry]

What a lovely Christmas present! Chickens are quite addictive - we now have eight birds(seven girls and a rooster) and I never realised how rewarding keeping a few chickens could be!(my other half is an old hand!)  Your post reminded me of the anxious times we had waiting for our birds to learn to go to roost in our new henhouse -you'd be hanging around outside holding your breath as the last chicken tentatively entered -then they'd all pile out again!!!!

Hi Foxy, just updating people who read my message - Thelma and Louise went in all by themselves tonight. I just got home from work, went to the greenhouse/coop, and no sign of them (or any noises). I panicked and fetched a torch, and they were in the coop, snuggled up, looking at me as if to say "do you mind not shining that torch at us, we are trying to sleep". Funny so and so's. All I need now is my first egg. I will keep you all posted.

[Kerry]

You'll have a great time with your chikens Kerry.  They make wonderful pets and the joy of collecting a nice warm egg never goes away  

Hi Aunt Sally,
No eggs yet, but Thelma and Louise went in the coop on their own tonight. I panicked 'coz they weren't on top of it, but they were snuggled up inside. I think they've been playing games with me!  Will let you know when first egg arrives.

Kerry, Thelma and Louise    

[mercury]

hi kerry, i've kept poultry most of my life, and i still get a thrill collecting the eggs

[muntjac]

sitting outside the coop 24 hours a day for next 2 months is not to be recomended kerry  :roll: