Bad broody hatch need advice for 3 little chicks

[GardenWeasel]

I just did a broody hatch and only one chick hatched and she squished it, it was dead. My question is I have another broody hen and 3 less than 24 hour old chicks in the incubator. Do I take a chance and put the other broody in the cleaned out broody pen, slip the chicks in with her tonite and hope this one is a good mamma? My only other choice would be to move 4 wk chicks into the broody pen in the coop with no heat so I could put the new babies in the brooder pen under lights. I feel like I am in over my head. Help please I have to do something tonite.

 

[Eggcessive]

Your 4 week olds may be fine in your broody pen. The temperatures at night now are pretty mild. I had 3 week olds at the end of March in my coop without heat because their broody hen abandoned them. It was cold at night in Ohio, but there were 7 and they just huddled up at night. You may also try the broody first during the day today, but she may hurt them. My broody who abandoned chicks had taken extra chicks with no problem, but she just didn't stay with them too long. Get an extra heat lamp fixture next time you are out. I keep extras.

 

[theeggbasket]

Why can't you have the 4 week olds in a brooder and the 24 hour old in a separate brooder? Is it a space issue or just not having another heat lamp? You could leave the less than day old chicks in the incubator long enough to run out and pick up another heat lamp. For 3 chicks you'd only need a Rubbermaid type tub from walmart and heat lamp for a 2nd brooder. It doesn't have to be fancy to work. Add something for food and water (something they can't drown in or add marbles to it so they can't) Good luck

 

[GardenWeasel]

Can I put chicks in with a broody during the day? I would like to try having them raised by a broody. The one I have is a very calm and mellow Astralorp. I guess what I need to know is if I should entrust these chicks after a bad experience with a very determined wyandotte broody.

 

[bobbi-j]

Breed doesn't make a broody good or bad. It's the personality of the broody. (My Wyandotte just hatched out 4 chicks and is doing very well with them. How much room in the nest was there? It could be the baby was accidentally squished if there wasn't enough room for the mama.) If you want them raised by the hen, you will need to leave them with her all the time. Otherwise, you will break that bond, and she will not want to raise them. If it were me, I'd take the chance.