Put day-old chicks under a broody hen?

[DeedeesInn]

i have 9 hens, no rooster, and one of my hens (a Cuckoo Maran) is very set on brooding. I was wondering about getting day-old sexed chicks and place them under her during the night. I also thought about getting fertile eggs, but then I'll end up with some roosters again, which I don't like. Any advice?

 

[Quackers3211]

I have heard of that happening and it always seems to work out good. I think it’s worth a try.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It will work much more often than it fails just be sure that the hen has been sitting long enough that she has gone over to the expecting chicks mode and that she is no longer in the "My way or the highway" mode that most hens adopt during their first week of incubation. Also it is important that the chicks or hen not have any contact (visual, oral, or otherwise) with other members of your flock until you have attempted to graft your sex-linked biddies onto your Cuckoo Maran hen.

The ugly truth is that SEXED as opposed to first generation SEX-LINKED baby chickens will have the normal ratio of "OOPS" chicks in any random group. So if you don't want roosters then you had best learn to love hearing "Cock-a-doodle-do" or else buy sex-LINKED chicks..

Stealth and total darkness is the key. If the chicks that you buy have already imprinted on another chicken or an animal (LIKE YOURSELF) then the graft may not prove as successful as you had hoped. So stay out of the baby chicks sight until at least 24 hours after you preform the graft.

A word of caution, baby chicks imprint on the first large moving object that they see. It can be their very own mommy or even your lawn-mower. Lawn=mowers BTW suck at hovering chicks but if the biddies have imprinted on your Snapper or John Deere they will run under the cutting deck every time that they feel chilled.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have done it. My Bantam Cochin adopts readily.

With her I take her to them as putting chicks in the nest she is sitting in results in rejection.

There are several ways to get a hen to accept chicks.

 

[DeedeesInn]

Thank you for your replies!

 

[lazy gardener]

I have done it. My Bantam Cochin adopts readily.

With her I take her to them as putting chicks in the nest she is sitting in results in rejection.

There are several ways to get a hen to accept chicks.

Interesting. I've never heard of anyone doing it this way before!

If I was going to graft chicks to a broody hen, I'd rather risk the occasional oops cockerel that may show up in a clutch of sexed day old chicks than bring sex linked day olds into my flock.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Interesting. I've never heard of anyone doing it this way before!

If I was going to graft chicks to a broody hen, I'd rather risk the occasional oops cockerel that may show up in a clutch of sexed day old chicks than bring sex linked day olds into my flock.

Yea she is a weird one. I took chicks into the coop just after full dark and tried to sneak one under her from behind. She grabbed it and flung it clear out of the nest. I then tried to slip 2 under her at the same time and block her beak. No dice there either. Into the giant brooder they went.
The next morning I thought what can I lose so I took her to them in the brooder. She snuggled in and started calling them. I set one near her and she set about stuffing that chick under her. She raised 7 that year and it's worked on 3 batches of chicks since then.
She is an oddball.

 

[song of joy]

Here are some recommendations from having done this successfully with my own broody hens:

1. Isolate the broody hen from the rest of the flock, but preferably in view of the flock. This ensures the hen and chicks will be left alone while they're bonding.
2. Make sure the hen has been broody for at least 2 weeks before attempting to foster chicks to her.
3. Put fake eggs under the broody hen up until the point where you switch them out for chicks.
4. Introduce chicks that are no older than 2 days old. It is very convenient to use hatchery chicks that have been sexed, as this greatly reduces the likelihood of getting unwanted cockerels.
5. Order chicks from a nearby hatchery to ensure they are only in transit for a day . . . two maximum. When the chicks arrive, keep them warm and make sure they drink. I usually keep them in a dark or dim location that is quiet until they can be fostered that night.
6. Don't overwhelm the foster mom with too many chicks. Three to eight chicks would be a good number for a hen that has never raised chicks before.
7. Introduce the chicks at night, using as little light as possible. Start by putting two chicks near her or slightly under her. Make sure she is in a nest box with sides that are at least 3 to 4 inches tall to reduce the likelihood of the chicks stumbling out of the nest. Also, a cold night will work to your advantage as the chicks will instinctively seek the heat of the hen.
8. After you introduce the chicks, extinguish all lights and listen carefully for several minutes. It should be quiet or you should hear quiet clucking from the hen. If you hear loud distress peeps from the chicks, there is a chance the hen is pecking them. I've only had this happen once with a "homicidal hen" but it did not end well for the chicks. If the hen accepts the chicks, she will gently push them under her with her beak and may cluck to them softly.
9. If all goes well with the first couple of chicks, introduce a few more chicks 1 to 2 hours later. Repeat until all the chicks are nestled under the hen.
10. Check the hens and chicks at first light in the morning. If you don't see any chicks, they are probably nestled under her. In that case, leave her alone. If chicks are avoiding her, if she is aggressive to the chicks, or if she ignores the chicks you will have to brood them yourself.
11. Some hens do not transition well from setting to mommy-mode, so keep a close eye on the hen and chicks for the first couple of days. She should take them off the nest within a day or two for food and water. You can encourage this process by ensuring all eggs have been removed from the nest, and offering the hen and chicks some mashed, scrambled eggs.
12. Let the hen and chicks bond with each other for about 1 week before removing the partition and letting the hen integrate the chicks with the rest of the flock. A high-ranking hen will have no problems protecting her chicks from other flock members, but a very low ranking hen may face more of a challenge.

I hope this works out for you, as it's absolutely delightful to watch a good mamma hen taking care of her chicks, and it certainly beats brooding them yourself.

 

[DeedeesInn]

Thanks for the great info!