best way to give broody chicks from incubator

[kefiren]

hi all!

i'm wondering how to approach this. i have eggs in lockdown, and i want to give the babies to a broody (none of the eggs she sat on have worked out and she is sitting only on golf balls now, and she's been sitting 3 weeks)

should i pluck each chick from the incubator as it appears and bring each individually right out to her?

should i collect them all up and bring them all out at once (at night)? if so, should i offer them food and water for the time being?

thanks for any ideas and tips!

 

[sourland]

I would suggest placing them under her in the evening and then providing feed and water to the hen and chicks in the AM. Generally such fosterings go smoothly. Occasional problems can occur - generally with first time moms. Good luck.

 

[kefiren]

she is an experienced broody, so i've got that going for me! thank you!

 

[kefiren]

ok, everything went smoothly! this is what i did:

on hatch day lots of chicks hatched at once and then things died down. at one point everyone was either hatched or not pipped at all. so, i thought it was a good time to get the babies out. but, it wasn't night yet.

so, i put them in a brooder box with some boiled egg, chicken grit, baby chow and water. they didn't touch the water but a few nibbled at the egg and feed.

when it was dark i put them under broody. if found that it was best to put them not up by her face but around by her butt and under her wing. one climbed right up on top and rode her back! my DS said: there's your rooster!

in the night another egg hatched in the bator! it spent the night crying out for company. first thing in the morning i brought him out to broody as well and broody gave him a little peck but that was it. when i came back he was fluffy and happy and integrated.