I have a hen who is broody. She's been this way about two weeks. We're due to get day old chicks this coming week. What would happen if we put Miss Broody in with the day old chicks? Anyone try this before?
Can you put day old mail ordered chicks in with a broody hen
Personally I think that would be a big mistake. Your very likely to end up with a bunch of dead baby chicks. Just MHO...I will be interested in what others think...Hay
Is she sitting on eggs - or egg substitutes? If so some people have been able to swap the eggs for the chicks during the night. I have had no experience with that ploy so unless someone else with some authority chimes in, you are probably best off listening to Haystack who has done it all with chicken raising.
Loon how many are you getting?
I have done that once.She was broody almost the 21 days though,I don`t know if that makes a differance.She was sitting on golf balls to keep her broody becasue I have chicks comming,I went out at night in the dark and took out the golf balls and put in the chicks and left.Got up early the nxt morning to check and it worked out great,she was a good mother.I`m not saying to do it but you wanted to know if anyone has tried it.
I had several hens sitting on a few dozen eggs I had ordered. As the babies hatched I put them all under one hen. She didn't have a problem accepting them. These were silkie hens that were used to me reaching under them. I cannot vouch how other hens might behave to day old chicks.
Those red hens I gave away liked to peck on those babies. I don't know why those two were like that, but they were.
If I were you and decided to try it, I'd do one or two at a time over a period of hours, and keep a close watch on how she acts. JMO
Is it a first time broody? That might be an issue.. If she is Silkie, it's probably a little bit in your favor. 2 weeks isn't long to be on eggs, she might not be that easy to fool.. Realize if you try it, it's a gamble!
I have a hen that I would have tried it with, cause her first set of eggs didn't hatch, and I replaced them so she sat for a LONG time.. and was trying to steal another broody's babiez.
I would not put the hen in with the chicks, I'd stick the chicks under her in the night like Green & LFJ suggested.. If it were me, I'd do it all at once and leave her alone as long as she didn't show immediate aggression towards the babiez. She should show aggression towards you, just not the babiez.
If you pull her eggs, what are you going to do with them? Are they infertile? Cause if not, then I wouldn't take them, they will probably hatch!
I probably misunderstood. I thought you were talking about putting like week olds in with a broody that has new babies. If your talking about swaping new babies for eggs or fake eggs then thats a different story. What Green did has been done many times succesfully. Sorry about the misunderstanding...Hay
I'd think a lot depends on the hen:) If it's one who loves chicks, and is proven as a Mom, I'd probably try, though I know i'd be sitting an a stool watching for, oh, two or three days....
This is a first time broody hen. She's never had babies of her own before. She keeps sitting on anyone's eggs that lays one. She just hops on their nest after they are through laying and sits on them till we take the eggs away from her.
I think we'll just put the baby chicks in the small coop by themselves. I don't wany anything to happen to them. I'm getting ten but they usually throw an extra one or two in with the bunch. Hopefully, she'll give up sitting soon.
Thanks for the advice.
The poor baby, she just wants to be a mommy. If they give you some extras, why not put the extras in with her. It would probably be paradise for her...Hay
Yup, sounds like a good broody! Sure would relieve you of a lot of work and worry if she raises them for you. :)
It worked beautifully for me, but I have dumb luck. The EE broody sat on golf balls for about 21 days. When the chicks were delivered I put them under her at night, no lights on at all, and took the golf balls away. She was an awesome mother to them and a wicked witch towards me. The best of luck to you whatever you decide to do!
A friend told me the other day that her mother told her that if they are broody for two full weeks then you can put babies under her,said her mother raised chickens for 40 years.
The chicks arrived today. I bought ten but they sent one extra of what I'd ordered plus a free fancy one. I forgot to tell my husband to wait till nighttime to sneak them under the hen. He just went ahead and put them in the small coop. They are all healthy and running around and eating and drinking. This coop is inside the bigger coop with all the other hens so they all know the babies are there. I hope it makes the transition of blending them in with the flock easier later on. I'm not sure we could have snuck 12 babies under her anyway. :)
Brenda
Our white leghorns used to try to steal chicks and lure them from each other.
Loon how are the babies and broody doing? Are they actually together?
The babies are doing fine. They are not with the broody. THey are separated in their own little coop. They're staying warm and running around and eating and drinking. We didn't lose one chick which I'm happy about. The broody hen is still sitting. Hubby throws her off the nest and makes her stay outside. So far that isn't working. :)