Advice on Giving Broody Chicks

[akf93]

Alright, be real specific with me. Hoping for a good outcome this time around!

Broody is due for chicks tomorrow. She is sitting on wooden eggs now. The store got new chicks today so I have 6 sitting in a brooder now. Planning to set them under mama tonight.

I put up a board in front of the bottom of the nesting box so the chicks don’t fall out. (That happened last year and didn’t end well.) Do I need to pay extra attention to mama tomorrow/Saturday and get the chicks out when I see her out? I have a set up for her on the floor now. Tried moving her there but she was adamant to be in her box.

Any other tips/tricks/advice? Hoping mama will do the work this time around to make integration easier. We’ve been having wacky weather and I’m a little concerned about the temps dropping again.

I have a plastic tote on its side by the corner in the coop to give a little barrier. Food, water, a good nesting spot. The coop is raised maybe 2’ with a ramp. The rest of the flock contains 2 ducks, 1 Silkie rooster, 2 Silkie hens (one of them is mama), and 17 standard hens.

 

[akf93]

Mama seems to be taking to them!!! how will I know when to move them?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Mama seems to be taking to them!!! how will I know when to move them?

Silkies are the bestest mamas! She'll take care of it. Honestly, it's easy to overthink it. I did - boy howdy! But mama will know what to do. She will take them out with the flock when she's ready. The others will likely give her wide berth, but she will let them know if they get too close.

Congratulations! I LOVE giving babies to broodies!

 

[akf93]

I cannot even handle the cuteness oh my word.

 

[Judy Todd]

At what week would you let them out of the pen?

I know this is late advise, but I move a broody to a separet pen as soon as I am sure she is serious. I built a pen in the barn for just this purpose. I do all this over a week or so, when there are chicks at the farm store> Then I slip chicks under her in the dark, with a tiny head lamp on me, wait, hoping, (oh, yes remove wooden eggs or real eggs at this time.) So far, have been doing this for 10 years with great success. My best broody was a banty cochin, who died at 9 years old. Good luck, maybe next time,move your broody to her own pen. just a thought. Oh yes, I do not move them with the other hens until they are fully feathered, mom will watch for them.

 

[Acre4Me]

Yes, in the dark. Or very low light so you don’t hurt yourself. Quietly remove the eggs from under her (ok to leave 1 if not easy to get to it) and gently place the chicks under her /under her wings.

She may start to talk to them bc she hears them. But due to low light she should be ok with them, relaxed.

Go check on her and chicks early the next , to see if she has accepted them.

 

[Sussex19]

With the food and water, I think you will want to put it in the nesting box if possible.
A broody can stay on the nest for up to three days, and normally the chicks would live off their yolks.
But as they will have been shipped, they could already be two or three days old?
So they will need food and water sooner.

 

[CaretakerCarol]

Do you think she will stick with the babies once moved or will she be determined again to go back to her box?

If she has been caring for them, she will stick with them. Her broodiness is gone and she is in full mommy mode. So cute!

 

[akf93]

I went out to check on them thinking I’d tip the tote upright since I will be gone for a couple hours. But everyone was happily chirping and hopping on and snuggling under mama. So I let them be. Forcing myself to trust the process! It’s the sweetest thing to watch!

 

[akf93]

Good grief. My heart.