Adding chicks to a broody hen

[Ziphie]

I have seen a few old threads about this already, but have a question about how soon it can actually be done. I wasn't planning on doing this but about 3 days ago my one and only laying hen, a 25 week old buff orpington, went broody. I do have 1 black sex link rooster also 25 weeks. I have 15 one day old chicks arriving today and was planning on putting them in the house for 4 or 5 weeks with the seven 3 week olds I already have. My four 8 week old chicks are currently out in the coop / run with dividers between them and the rooster although when I have been out there he seems mostly accepting with a peck here and there maybe a plucked feather or two. I only mention them because this morning when I went out to check on them they were piled in the nest box with the broody hen and she wasn't thrilled when I took them to put them in the run for the day.

Now my actual question, has anyone here had success or know if a broody hen will accept chicks after only being broody for a few days? Should I wait a week and then try or are they to old by then? Also is 15 too much for one hen especially since it is her first time. I would love if she could raise them instead of having them in the house since I am a couple weeks away from kicking the babies out that are here now.

 

[azygous]

You have several things going against this little experiment succeeding, the large number of chicks being only one. Some are apt to get chilled when the broody fails to adequately cover them. (If she accepts them, that is.)

The thing about broody hormones is that they usually have a built-in timer.
The hormones make a broody single-minded about sitting on eggs for three weeks. After that period she will be in the mood to get off the nest and care for the chicks. You can't be sure your broody will want to interrupt this cycle to get off her nest so soon.

However, this particular hen has give you a clue to her nurturing nature. If you brood the chicks within sight of her, she may decide to cut her broody cycle short to care for them.

This is what I would do, finding experiments such as this irresistible. You really have nothing to lose by setting up a brooder next to the broody. The chicks will be perfectly safe.

The advantages are several. You may see the broody take over the care of the chicks. The chicks will be integrated with the flock from the start. If the older chicks are also within sight of the new chicks, they will also be getting in on this integration with the new chicks. Of course, you want to partition off the new chicks to keep them safe for the time being.

I have an article on outdoor brooding you could read to get more ideas. It's listed below in my sig line.

 

[Ziphie]

Thank you, I have never dealt with a broody hen before and her timing with the new arrivals I wasn't sure if she would be willing or able to care for them so soon. My original 6 hens (leghorns) who are now gone from old age were never broody and were absolutely horrible to the two I have now. Very unwilling to accept anyone into their flock even though it was only 2 left at the time, I tried everything I could find. I was more hoping for an easier transition with this latest round of chicks. Although my 8 week olds seem to be doing ok, by the time these new arrivals are ready everyone will be much older.

Would you recommend putting them out right away or waiting a day or 2? Seeing as they are being shipped I would like to be able to keep a better watch over them the first day or 2 to make sure everyone is healthy, eating and drinking well. When they are out in the coop it makes it a little harder to check as often as I like.

Just out of curiosity, what is the typical number of chicks a hen will care for? Maybe sometime in the future I may let her hatch some of her own or get hatching eggs for her.

 

[azygous]

Most of us who brood outdoors do keep the new shipment of chicks inside for the first 24 hours to watch and treat for shipping stress. As a precaution we also administer Poultry Nutri-drench to head off any such problems.

Usually a broody can cover an average of 10 to 13 chicks comfortably. But some are able to perform quite a contortion with their bodies and spread out over more.

 

[Ziphie]

Wishing I could remember all my questions at once I use a medium size wire dog crate as my brooder in the coop. Should I set that next to her open or closed? I can position it so she can have access but no one else can get in

 

[lazy gardener]

Ziphie, if you do try to foster the chicks to the broody, I would do it right away. As soon as you get the shipment, feed and water them. It's of primary importance to get nutrition into them right away after shipping. Then, after warming them up, you can try fostering them later in the day, or wait and try it at night. You might even try giving her a few at night, then give her the rest the next day. (I've never fostered chicks to a broody, so... others may have better advice.)

If you can get some Poultry Nutri Drench, I strongly suggest that you put that in their water for the first several days, then several times/week for the first 2 weeks.

You are facing a crucial time crunch regarding imprinting. There is a small window after hatch (I believe it's around 48 hours or so) where the chick will imprint to any moving object that kind of sort of reminds them of what a mother would "be like." So, even if a broody was in the mood to accept chicks, if the chicks are too old, they will not imprint to her, and may not even go to her to warm up. That your broody has let older chicks snuggle under her says that she very well may accept the new ones. You've got nothing to loose, and everything to gain. I'd let her have all of them, and see if she can cover them all. If not, you may need to take half of them and brood them artificially, while letting her have the rest.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hens' lives are ruled by their hormones. If sufficient time has not passed the hen will at best refuse the chicks and at worst she will become violent towards them in an effort to protect her own chicks that she supposes is under her.