Can I put day old chicks under a new mother who already has chicks?

[Violetsrblu]

Happy update e : the chick hatched yesterday (4 days later). In the evening, I placed it in front of mama and it immediately tunneled in under her and ceased it's pitiful crying. Today the new baby is hanging out with the family and having no problems.

 

[lazy gardener]

 

[nchls school]

X 2.

 

[Coop de Grass]

I am so happy for you! I am trying to figure out how I am going to handle a situation with my Broody who has 4 of her own 7 day olds. I have chicks the same age, and am wondering if she will accept a couple more.

 

[inquisitivebird]

Thats great, go for it, nust try it at night and watch her closely when she wakes up. Cant hurt to try it. It probably will be ok

 

[Coop de Grass]

@inquisitivebird I chickened out (OMG, didn't mean the pun!) and didn't put them under her. Might do it tonight. It seems like she never really goes to sleep because there is movement in the coop throughout the night. I do have a heat lamp over her broody nest because I am a wimp about letting them get cold... I think I will take it out this afternoon.

Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[nchls school]

@inquisitivebird I chickened out (OMG, didn't mean the pun!) and didn't put them under her. Might do it tonight. It seems like she never really goes to sleep because there is movement in the coop throughout the night. I do have a heat lamp over her broody nest because I am a wimp about letting them get cold... I think I will take it out this afternoon.

Thanks for the encouragement!

While the hen may stay alert at night, she can not see in the dark. That's why it's the best time to give her more chicks. Hopefully, in the morning she will just accept them as hers and act like they had always been with her. Definitely take down the heat lamp. The chicks need to be put with her in complete,or near, darkness.

 

[Coop de Grass]

@nchls school thank you! I am going to put the chicks that I will slip under her into a separate box before I take them down to her. If I leave them in the brooder they play as long as there is sound in the room, even if I cover the brooder!

Any advice on number I should try? Just 1 at a time?

 

[nchls school]

@nchls school
 thank you! I am going to put the chicks that I will slip under her into a separate box before I take them down to her. If I leave them in the brooder they play as long as there is sound in the room, even if I cover the brooder!

Any advice on number I should try? Just 1 at a time?

What size/breed hen? What size/breed chicks? A small hen can only care for about 6 chicks of a larger breed-a dozen if they are a smaller breed. A large hen can care for a dozen chicks easily. Whatever number you decide to give her, do all at once. The older her chicks become the less likely it is that she will adopt more.

Be sure to check early the next morning in case the chicks are not accepted. To make it easier for you the hen and chicks can be brought into the house for that night.

 

[Coop de Grass]

What size/breed hen? What size/breed chicks? A small hen can only care for about 6 chicks of a larger breed-a dozen if they are a smaller breed. A large hen can care for a dozen chicks easily. Whatever number you decide to give her, do all at once. The older her chicks become the less likely it is that she will adopt more.

Be sure to check early the next morning in case the chicks are not accepted. To make it easier for you the hen and chicks can be brought into the house for that night.

She is a Buff Orpington. I put Buff Orpington fertilized eggs under her - no rooster here-4 hatched on Feb 17-18. I have 6 Americaunas and three of them are Wheaten. The hatchery said that they hatched on Feb 17. I was thinking that since they are similar in coloring, it would be better to put them under her since the others are pretty distinctive.

She is a great Mom. I just wish that she would take those babies into the coop at night. She started taking them out on Sunday.

Any advice?