Am I overthinking this?!

[FunClucks]

That’s actually a great idea. This poor girl was broody from April- august last year and I was so excited to get her some babies. There is a feed shop with day old chicks and I can go Thursday or I could get 3-4 day old today… I’m guessing waiting until Thursday is better?

The younger the better, since she'll think they've just hatched from an egg. I'd go Thursday. There's quite a difference in behavior in 3 day old chicks (what you'll get from the feed store after they are shipped to the store) and 6-7 day old chicks (what 3-4 day old feedstore chicks actually are when you count the number of days from hatch). Make sure the chicks have eaten and drunk well, then slip them under momma. Especially remove the eggs as soon as you put the chicks under - that way she might go get them something to eat sooner since she thinks she's done. Normally hens will sit on the nest for 3 days after the first chick hatches waiting for the others to hatch, and the chicks survive on the yolk sack during this time. The chicks from the feed store have already used the yolk sack up, so will need food the very next day if you slip them under her at night.

If/when she goes broody again and you don't want chicks, please break her as soon as you notice, if you're able to. It's not healthy for her to be broody for long periods of time. Here's a great article that helped me.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[FunClucks]

I actually looked around and could not find anyone near me selling fertilized eggs. The lady I bought the eggs from has offered to send me more, is that a waste of time? I could get chicks from a feed store…

Feed store chicks are a safer bet, and your poor broody doesn't have to keep sitting. No guarantee the next batch of shipped eggs would hatch either.

Random thought:
If you can get a package of fertile eggs from the farmers market or a grocery store, depending on the time elapsed between when they're shipped and laid, sometimes those hatch. Just for fun really. This time around I'd go with feedstore chicks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That’s actually a great idea. This poor girl was broody from April- august last year and I was so excited to get her some babies. There is a feed shop with day old chicks and I can go Thursday or I could get 3-4 day old today… I’m guessing waiting until Thursday is better?

Wait until Thursday, the younger the chicks the better. I'd suggest a minimum of three if not more. It is harder to integrate a single chick. They are flock animals and love company. After the broody hen weans them they will be on their own with the flock. Often the flock will not allow young chicks to intermingle. They don't go out of their way to attack or hurt the chicks, they just don't want the chicks to invade their personal space. So the chicks wind up forming their own sub-flock until they mature enough to join the pecking order. If you only get two and one dies then the remaining chick is alone. Three is a bit of insurance that there will be at least two. And remember to look for pullets since you can't have a rooster.

 

[Tonyroo]

Get the feed store chick, remember to place the chicks under the hen at night.

 

[Micmac1234]

The younger the better, since she'll think they've just hatched from an egg. I'd go Thursday. There's quite a difference in behavior in 3 day old chicks (what you'll get from the feed store after they are shipped to the store) and 6-7 day old chicks (what 3-4 day old feedstore chicks actually are when you count the number of days from hatch). Make sure the chicks have eaten and drunk well, then slip them under momma. Especially remove the eggs as soon as you put the chicks under - that way she might go get them something to eat sooner since she thinks she's done. Normally hens will sit on the nest for 3 days after the first chick hatches waiting for the others to hatch, and the chicks survive on the yolk sack during this time. The chicks from the feed store have already used the yolk sack up, so will need food the very next day if you slip them under her at night.

If/when she goes broody again and you don't want chicks, please break her as soon as you notice, if you're able to. It's not healthy for her to be broody for long periods of time. Here's a great article that helped me.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

I actually read that article last year and nothing worked. In fact, another bird joined her.

 

[Micmac1234]

Wait until Thursday, the younger the chicks the better. I'd suggest a minimum of three if not more. It is harder to integrate a single chick. They are flock animals and love company. After the broody hen weans them they will be on their own with the flock. Often the flock will not allow young chicks to intermingle. They don't go out of their way to attack or hurt the chicks, they just don't want the chicks to invade their personal space. So the chicks wind up forming their own sub-flock until they mature enough to join the pecking order. If you only get two and one dies then the remaining chick is alone. Three is a bit of insurance that there will be at least two. And remember to look for pullets since you can't have a rooster.

Good thing I want like 6 luckily a local farmer drops them off and they aren’t shipped so they should be true day old chicks! I guess I’ll leave the eggs until then and then Thursday night I’ll bring the chicks out and snatch the eggs. I’m going to take my ring doorbell down and put it out there to watch them haha

 

[Micmac1234]

Feed store chicks are a safer bet, and your poor broody doesn't have to keep sitting. No guarantee the next batch of shipped eggs would hatch either.

Random thought:
If you can get a package of fertile eggs from the farmers market or a grocery store, depending on the time elapsed between when they're shipped and laid, sometimes those hatch. Just for fun really. This time around I'd go with feedstore chicks.

That would be fun! I’ll look at our next farmers market. A farmer actually drops these chicks at the feed store so they aren’t shipped and should be true day olds

 

[FunClucks]

I actually read that article last year and nothing worked. In fact, another bird joined her.

Wow! You must have one intense broody! I broke mine twice last year, it took a week or two in a crate off the ground each time. She went broody again about a month ago and I gave her eggs.

If you get tired of dealing with it, there are people out there who would love to have a proven broody. I figure if I ever have one to sell I'll list them at double the price I would for a normal egg laying chicken, because they really are luck of the draw, and when you want a broody, you really want a broody.

 

[Micmac1234]

Wow! You must have one intense broody! I broke mine twice last year, it took a week or two in a crate off the ground each time. She went broody again about a month ago and I gave her eggs.

If you get tired of dealing with it, there are people out there who would love to have a proven broody. I figure if I ever have one to sell I'll list them at double the price I would for a normal egg laying chicken, because they really are luck of the draw, and when you want a broody, you really want a broody.

Oh that’s definitely good to know. After they stop laying, do they keep going broody…?

 

[Micmac1234]

Here’s my next question… I am battling fricking rats in my coop. I thought they were gone but they were back last night. Will they attack the baby chicks?!?!

Right now I am laying traps outside the coop and in my shed that the coop shares a wall with (and that they live underneath) and taking away all of the chicken food at night and there’s poison out but unfortunately the rats are just eating whatever chicken food is left on the floor from that day and they aren’t going near the poison.

When the baby chicks get here, I plan on putting the food back out for the rats…absolutely kills me to say that…but I figured if they have an easy food source they won’t mess with the chicks.