Adopted Chick under a Broody Hen - Mission Failure last night!

[chickenguysmom]

We have a silkie/cochin mix that goes broody several times a year. In the spring we got fertilized eggs and let her hatch out some babies. Now 12 weeks later we are back in the same situation. So we thought we would try to fool her by putting a baby under her at night and let her think that her baby hatched (she is sitting on just one egg -- not even her egg). So we went to the flea market and bought a chick that looks to be about 1-2 weeks old, a little cutie pie silkie that the kids named Pearl.

We snuck out after dark and tried to put Pearl under the broody and she pecked my hands, which is odd because she has never done that when she is broody. She will let you check under her, take her eggs, take her babies and she never pecked at us before. I figured it was because it was dark and she couldn't see us. So we went out a little while later and placed the chick next to her in the nest box to see if she would scoot it under her. She didn't -- she just let it sit there.

So I went out at 15 minute intervals and it was the same thing. Both of them sleeping -- but next to each other. So then I petted the broody to wake her up, she took one look at the chick and pecked it. Then she pecked it again, and again and again.

So I took Pearl and put her back in her brooder box for the night. Do you think it was because Pearl is a little older or do I have a mean momma chick? I thought her silkie half would come out and mother this baby.

Can anyone tell me where I went wrong? She is a great mom if she hatches it herself but a mean mom with other hen's babies.

BTW - I can see why everyone is in love with their silkies. Pearl is the sweetest baby ever. I thought our d'Uccles were sweet, but Pearl is sweeter.

 

[Mahonri]

I would probably have put the little chick under and I would have taken the egg out?

 

[jqs birds]

My guess would be that it was because the chick was older.
If she is an ex;preienced hen as you said. She may know that her egg wasn't peeping in the egg and so it wasn't her chick.

 

[speckledhen]

Could be she could tell the baby wasn't just hatched, but who knows what goes on in a chicken's mind?

 

[Chickenmaven]

My feeling is that Pearl is too old. I think that you need the right combo of a broody that has been nesting close to 20 days AND day-old chicks. All the stories I have heard point to this.
I was able to successfully fool my hen into accepting 12 day-olds. I bought the day-olds the same day that she hatched out 3 chicks of her own. In fact, I allowed her to set because I had a hatchery order scheduled for 3 weeks to the date. Now, you'd think Esther would know the difference between 3 chicks and 15 chicks, but I guess chickens can't count!

 

[Winsor Woods]

I'm new with chickens but I know from watching raptor propagation that the parents know how long they've been sitting on the eggs. If, for example, there are 21 days of incubation, then you can't put a baby under them at incubation day 15. They just know.

With raptors, the eggs are laid, and then replaced with dummies. The eggs are put into an incubator and hatched. After the eyasses (raptor peeps) are a week old, they are swapped out for the dummy eggs and the parents raise them just fine.

I'm not sure about any similarities there between raptor broods and chicken broods, but that's my guess. How long was your silkie cross sitting on that egg?

Dan

 

[birdlover]

Two things are at play here: the chick is too old and, if momma hasn't been setting close to 21 days, it's too soon for her to get into mothering mode.

That said, I had an oegb/silkie hen that went broody aaaall the time and I was able to get her to take two chicks that were about a week old. The chicks were a little more independent than newly hatched ones and she would peck them if they wandered out from her while she was still setting. After she pecked, she would lift her wing for them to get the message. It was sooo cute.

Another time, she had been broody for well over a month and I bought 2 week old keets in desperation. They were the only chicks I could find! She took them under her that night but rejected them the next morning. She knew those weren't chickens!!!!

 

[chickenguysmom]

I appreciate everyone's comments.

She had been setting close to 21 days but I think Pearl didn't act enough like a just-hatched chick. First of all she was extremely quiet. She almost never gets that distressed chick cry and doesn't peep alot. She is extremely good natured - this morning I moved her to a bigger brooder and set her on a chair and said "don't go anywhere" and I went and got the bigger tub and when I came back she was standing there waiting for me and loves to be held.

Plus that old broody is one smart hen. Once before she had the opportunity to adopt a chick and she pecked at it but it was introduced to her during the day. I was hoping the night-time switch-a-roo would be different.

Oh, well. Pearl will be one pampered silkie. Thanks again everyone.

 

[Polskirock]

I have 11 chicks 2 old english game, 7 silkies, and 2 large fowl i do not no what they are. They got to messy and we brought them outside to see if we could find a foster mother for them. I put them next to my cochin bantam and she took them in.The chicks where 3weeks old and the cochin did not care she was not broodie. I think its just the chickens personality i put them next another hen before the cochin but she tried to peck them to death.