anyone ever try puttng week old chicks with a broody hen??

effie

Songster
8 Years
Mar 5, 2011
268
14
111
West(by god) Virginia
I have some chicks I hatched out with the bator a week ago and now I have a broody hen. I was wondering if she might take them-has anyone tried this.
 
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Don't put the chicks with the broody hen, when hens are broody I believe they should be left to themselves away from all others as they can get cranky. After she hatches, you might try this and see. Some hens will kill the chicks, others just won't accept them, and I've had some like a little junglefowl that had up to 13 chicks under her ranging from weeks to nearly months old. I don't think any of them were even hers, she just adopted them as she went a long. When you do it, try with only one chick first and set it down, let them come together instead of just tossing a chick at her. She'll probably peck it at first but don't worry about it unless something else happens, usually if they walk off together then all is fine. Repeat process with other chicks.

God bless,
Daniel.
 
thanks, that is the way I was gonna approach it if I decide to do it. Yes, they can be quite cranky when broody--I always say they remind me of velociraptors when they snarl at ya! :)
 
I haven't tried what you are talking about but I slipped about to hatch eggs (1 day away) under my broody. Let them hatch and she took them as hers.

Edited to add she was sitting on infertile eggs at the time. I wouldn't do that if they were fertile because after a day or two she would abandon the eggs she was sitting on in favor of the chicks.
 
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