at what age is it to late to give a broody chicks

[chickenmama109]

so i think my hen has gone broody and i want to put my four day old chicks under her but i want to wait a week so i can make sure she is broody will the chicks be to big should i just let her brood some eggs

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some hens will brood any aged chick but most won't. The younger the chicks the more likely she will accept them. But an even bigger problem is that in a week the chicks will not have imprinted on her. If they have not imprinted on her they won't do what she tells them to do. They are much more likely to be very scared of her. I do not think it is a good idea to wait.

I understand you wanting to wait to make sure she is broody. Sometimes hens act broody but just are not. I have had a hen accept chicks the day after she went broody. I had a hen reject chicks I gave her a couple of days after she went broody. I think, up to a point, the longer a hen has been broody the more likely she is to accept chicks. But just like some hens will accept really old chicks, some will accept chicks as soon as they go broody. You just can't tell with living animals what they will do.

if it were me if she is n the nest tonight instead of roosting in her normal spot I'd slip the chicks under her after dark. Then check them out pretty early the next morning to see how it is going. The longer you wait the less your odds of success become.

There is another way you can try this. Take the chicks to her now and put then in her nest. Don't bother trying to slide them under her, just set them in her nest. Then back off a few feet and watch for a while. See what happens. I don't know how many chicks you have, but you might try this with just a couple before you decide to risk others.

Or you can brood these chicks yourself and give her eggs to hatch. This would be the safest way.

 

[chickenmama109]

Some hens will brood any aged chick but most won't. The younger the chicks the more likely she will accept them. But an even bigger problem is that in a week the chicks will not have imprinted on her. If they have not imprinted on her they won't do what she tells them to do. They are much more likely to be very scared of her. I do not think it is a good idea to wait.

I understand you wanting to wait to make sure she is broody. Sometimes hens act broody but just are not. I have had a hen accept chicks the day after she went broody. I had a hen reject chicks I gave her a couple of days after she went broody. I think, up to a point, the longer a hen has been broody the more likely she is to accept chicks. But just like some hens will accept really old chicks, some will accept chicks as soon as they go broody. You just can't tell with living animals what they will do.

if it were me if she is n the nest tonight instead of roosting in her normal spot I'd slip the chicks under her after dark. Then check them out pretty early the next morning to see how it is going. The longer you wait the less your odds of success become.

There is another way you can try this. Take the chicks to her now and put then in her nest. Don't bother trying to slide them under her, just set them in her nest. Then back off a few feet and watch for a while. See what happens. I don't know how many chicks you have, but you might try this with just a couple before you decide to risk others.

Or you can brood these chicks yourself and give her eggs to hatch. This would be the safest way.

Thanks my chickens are very mean to new comers do I think I might just let her brood I don’t want to chance the chicks thanks for all of your help

 

[stuckinthecity]

What kinds do you have?
I gave a silkie cross some four day olds and she took them(silkie perks) but as mentioned they didn't know her "language" at first. They weren't scared of her though thank goodness, probably because she never pecked at them. It didn't take them long to adjust though. I kept them in a smaller area until they formed that bond. I miss that hen. My super broody.