Advice wanted!!

[Anne02]

I have a nine month old pullet that for the past four days has been acting broody. But only part time. She stays on the nest for a few hours, then gets off and acts totally normal. I do have two chicks at the moment, and I would love for her to take them, but there are two problems.
1. She won’t commit.
2. The chicks are already two weeks old, and I don’t know if she would take them anyway.
What should I do? Should I try to give them to her during the day, when she’s on the nest being broody, or should I just forget it and try to break her?

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

She's a bit young. What breed is she? You can try putting the chicks with her during the day but do not leave. Watch, and see how she reacts. If she ignores them or tolerates them, it might work out. But if she pecks them each time they try to get under her, remove them; she's not going to accept them. I've done this with Silkies a few times. Some take to chicks readily and some do not, but they're the breed I've had the most success doing this with.

If she rejects them, I'd break her broodiness and wait until she's over a year. She's more likely to commit (depending on the breed) at that point.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You could always try when she's on the nest but I would hang around for a good while to see if she actually accepts them or not

 

[Anne02]

She's a bit young. What breed is she? You can try putting the chicks with her during the day but do not leave. Watch, and see how she reacts. If she ignores them or tolerates them, it might work out. But if she pecks them each time they try to get under her, remove them; she's not going to accept them. I've done this with Silkies a few times. Some take to chicks readily and some do not, but they're the breed I've had the most success doing this with.

If she rejects them, I'd break her broodiness and wait until she's over a year. She's more likely to commit (depending on the breed) at that point.

She is a Brahma/Barred Rock cross. I think I will try it, just to see. If it works out, that’ll be fantastic, and save me a lot of time integrating these two into my flock later.

 

[Anne02]

You could always try when she's on the nest but I would hang around for a good while to see if she actually accepts them or not

Okay, thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a nine month old pullet that for the past four days has been acting broody. But only part time. She stays on the nest for a few hours, then gets off and acts totally normal. I do have two chicks at the moment, and I would love for her to take them, but there are two problems.
1. She won’t commit.
2. The chicks are already two weeks old, and I don’t know if she would take them anyway.
What should I do? Should I try to give them to her during the day, when she’s on the nest being broody, or should I just forget it and try to break her?

Doesn't sound broody to me. Sounds like she's just hanging out in the nesting box for a few hours. Is she laying eggs at all?

I would not put chicks with her. Brood them yourself and get them outside when you can so the others can get used to seeing them. This sometimes helps when it's time to integrate.

 

[Anne02]

Doesn't sound broody to me. Sounds like she's just hanging out in the nesting box for a few hours. Is she laying eggs at all?

I would not put chicks with her. Brood them yourself and get them outside when you can so the others can get used to seeing them. This sometimes helps when it's time to integrate.

She hasn’t been laying. And she flattens herself on the nest, growls, and has plucked a spot on her chest. Aren’t those all signs of being broody? And in any case, I tried putting the chicks with her. It worked for a little while. She gave them a few curious pecks, then settled in. I had put her in a dog crate, and after about fifteen minutes, when the chicks had come out and were exploring a bit, she seemed to realize that she was penned up, and ran away. So... that failed. But it was worth a shot anyway.

 

[3KillerBs]

I've never actually done it, but my understanding is that chicks can only be grafted onto a broody when when they are very young -- only a few days old --and that part of that is that after a certain time the chicks will have no interest in a hen because the heat lamp or brooder plate is the mother they know.

 

[sourland]

It will not work. Chicks are entirely too old, and when fostering chicks the closer the hen is to 21 days of setting the greater the chance of success.

 

[SulkyBantam]

And she flattens herself on the nest, growls, and has plucked a spot on her chest.

I can tell you that's broody.

But the chicks could get hurt, it's your choice if you want to risk it.

Also hi Anne! haven't seen you in a while.