Adding mail order chicks to hen with newly hatched chicks of her own.

[NevadaEmma]

Hello. I had ordered some chicks a few months ago. One of my hens went broody and successfully hatched 7 chicks two or three days before the mail order chicks arrived.

I have had the mail order chicks in the house under a brooder plate. They are all well and healthy, eating and drinking.

My question is can I try to add these chicks to the little flock of my hen that hatched her own chicks?

Thanks for the replies

 

[nchls school]

Hello. I had ordered some chicks a few months ago. One of my hens went broody and successfully hatched 7 chicks two or three days before the mail order chicks arrived.

I have had the mail order chicks in the house under a brooder plate. They are all well and healthy, eating and drinking.

My question is can I try to add these chicks to the little flock of my hen that hatched her own chicks?

Thanks for the replies

Two reasons not to add the chicks with the others.

1. With seven of her own, the hen could not care for many more. You didn't say how many chicks you bought.

2. The hen's chicks are now three days old. The hen knows her own and is likely to not accept more. Do the bought chicks and the hen's chicks look the same? If so, she might accept...

I you have more then six bought chicks, it is better for all the birds to not be combined as a family.

 

[NevadaEmma]

I bought 5 Salmon Faverolle chicks which are bright yellow. The 7 chicks are a barnyard mix. three are yellow/orange, 4 are black. They mother is a second year Buff Orphington.

 

[nchls school]

The best I can tell you is "maybe". Put the chicks under the hen after dark and check to make sure all is well with the first light of dawn. I have doubts she will accept new chicks so different than her own.

 

[BDutch]

I wouldn’t try. I have no experience doing so. But I think there is a big chance the hen won’t accept the newbies and starts pecking the invaders.

Do you have a good setup for the mail chicks to grow up in?

 

[NevadaEmma]

Yes, I have a good set up for the chicks. I do have another Buff Orphington hen that just went broody a few days ago. She was raised in the same chick group as the first hen.

I considered trying to add the SF under the second Orphington and remove the eggs she is sitting on, but I do not want to waste her eggs.

I also have a 21 egg brooder that is due to start hatching barnyard mix tomorrow. I can set up another brooder but I did not want to if I can make use of either of the Orphington hens.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Wow that's a lot going on. IMO the hen wouldn't take the chicks in and they would get too cold. I tried to do same thing but chicks didn't accept her and got hungry and thirsty. I wouldn't waste the eggs under hen #2 either.
If you have chicks hatching can't you just add mail order ones to that batch?

 

[NevadaEmma]

I think that is what might be the best solution. They will be about 5 days different in age, but I will keep a close eye on them.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I think that is what might be the best solution. They will be about 5 days different in age, but I will keep a close eye on them.

My 2 groups are a month apart and they are bud's.

 

[BDutch]

I would choose a natural option.
Grow the mail chicks in the brooder, let the mama with chicks do her job and let the broody sit on the eggs for 3 weeks until the eggs hatch.
Or
Let the mama with chicks do her job. Put the mail chicks under the broody who sits on the eggs (check at dawn) and put the fertilised eggs in an incubator for the remaining weeks until the eggs hatch. Maybe pull this trick again and put the last batch under a new broody too if you have one within two weeks.