raising chicks
4 stories filed under raising chicks on Alektorophobia. The newest of them: “New Chick Energy: Cluck-tastic Chaos Hits the Coop”, “Hatching drama: Will Mama Hen reject this late-blooming chick”, and “Cruella's lone survivor gets a feathered second chance at flock life.”. So you got new chicks. Twenty-four hours after her first chick hatched, Mama Hen abandoned the nest, and now there's a very active, late-blooming baby still fighting inside an egg. Chickens. Everything there is to know about chickens and the fear of them. The list below is every raising chicks story on Alektorophobia, newest first.
New Chick Energy: Cluck-tastic Chaos Hits the Coop
So you got new chicks. Congratulations, you've officially invited a feathered circus into your backyard. I'm thrilled for you, truly, but also a little terrified on your behalf. Those tiny dinosaurs grow up fast, and before you know it, they'll be staging a coup over the best nesting box. This cluck-tastic chaos is exactly the kind of energy we live for here. New chicks mean new personalities, new escape plans, and new reasons to question your life choices at 6 AM. It's egg-citing, exhausting, and absolutely worth it. If you've ever wondered whether your hen is playing hide-and-seek or plotting fowl play, you might relate to our piece on "My Hen's Playing Hide-and-Seek With the Coop Again." Welcome to the madness.
Hatching drama: Will Mama Hen reject this late-blooming chick
Twenty-four hours after her first chick hatched, Mama Hen abandoned the nest, and now there's a very active, late-blooming baby still fighting inside an egg. I've got it in the incubator, watching the candling show, knowing it could pip any day. But will she take this straggler back? Technically, I can raise it myself, but solo chicks don't thrive, and letting it perish because she refused to keep sitting? That's not an option. This is the kind of fowl play that keeps chicken keepers up at night, equal parts hope, anxiety, and a desperate need for a cluck-tastic reunion. If you've ever faced a broody standoff, you'll relate. For more feather-raising drama, check out "Help! My Chick's New Feathers Are Just Bare Stems."
Cruella's lone survivor gets a feathered second chance at flock life.
Well, color me cluck-struck. Cruella the hen decided her cold-water baths were just a spa day, not a hint, so her humans gave in and let her sit on six eggs. It was a fowl tragedy when only one chick survived; her coopmates got a bit too territorial. That lone little survivor is one tough cookie, and I'm rooting for her. The humans, feeling bad, introduced a few new feathered friends, and wouldn't you know it, Cruella adopted them without a single peck of protest. It's a wild ride, and while I admire the dedication, I'm with the owner on this one: never again with the broodiness! For more feathery fiascos, check out "Chickens Got Her Good! A Backyard Poultry Adventure."
Can Nonbroody Hens Still Be Clucky Foster Moms?
Ah, the eternal question that's ruffled more than a few feathers: will your non-broody hens step up and play auntie to a batch of fluffy newcomers? It's the chicken version of asking a cat to look after puppies, possible, but expect some hissy fits. The short answer? Don't count on it. Non-broody hens are typically too busy scratching, pecking, and living their best free-range lives to play substitute mom. They're not mean about it, mind you, they're just not interested in the whole "raising the kids" gig. That maternal switch usually flips only in broody girls, the ones who've gone full hawk-eyed, chest-puffed, "don't you dare touch my eggs" mode.