Broody accept extra chicks?

[lulubell15]

Has anyone added extra chicks to a broody hen?
My broody sat on 6 eggs & after 22 days I didn't think thay would hatch, so I bought 3 x 1 day old to give her. When I went to remove the eggs on day 24, 3 of them were chirping. They hatched but were very weak, so I kept under a heat lamp indoors till they are now feeding & drinking well.
Can I sneak them under mom & the other 3 & hope she doesn't realise or will she reject & possible kill them?

 

[Kiki]

You can try but stay close by in case she starts attacking them.
It all depends on the broody. Every single one is different and some may accept chicks no problem and some may kill them immediately.

 

[lulubell15]

You can try but stay close by in case she starts attacking them.
It all depends on the broody. Every single one is different and some may accept chicks no problem and some may kill them immediately.

Thanks,
That's what I was thinking. She is a really good momma & has reared a few chicks over the last few yrs. She's usually very protective of her young ones, so as long as she doesn't see these little ones as a threat there might be some hope.
I have a new hen just going broody today. I don't suppose I could give her chicks instead of eggs?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Can I sneak them under mom & the other 3 & hope she doesn't realise or will she reject & possible kill them?

I'd put them under her tonight after it is dark and check first thing in the morning. They should be fine overnight, I personally would not worry. But check early tomorrow when she can see. As Kiki said, you never know what they will do but I feel pretty good about your chances.

I have a new hen just going broody today. I don't suppose I could give her chicks instead of eggs?

I'd try the other hen first, I think your odds are better. Some people believe a hen has to set 21 days before she accepts chicks. That's not been my experience, I had a hen accept chicks two days after starting being broody. But I do think your odds are better if she has been broody for a while. Also, not all of my hens are broody enough to deserve eggs, let alone chicks, when they first go broody. With some it hits like a ton of bricks but with some they have to work their way into it.

You can always try that second hen if the first one fails. It might work, it might not. You never know what will work.

My broody sat on 6 eggs & after 22 days I didn't think thay would hatch, so I bought 3 x 1 day old to give her. When I went to remove the eggs on day 24, 3 of them were chirping. They hatched but were very weak, so I kept under a heat lamp indoors till they are now feeding & drinking well.

I often have eggs hatch two full days early under a broody hen, about the opposite of your experience. Even under a broody that 21 day thing is just a general target, not a sure thing. That's why many of us suggest patience before you do anything dramatic. Next time you'll know.

But were you counting the days correctly? An egg does not have 24 hours' worth of development immediately after it goes under the broody. It takes 24 hours for it to have a day's worth of development and you can say "1" when you start counting. An easy way to check your counting is that the day of the week you set them is the day of the week that 21 days are up. If you start them on a Friday the 21 days are up on a Friday.

That's a real common error on here, happens all the time. Your three were still late, even if you did this, but maybe not quite as late as you thought. Anyway, good luck!

 

[lulubell15]

I'd put them under her tonight after it is dark and check first thing in the morning. They should be fine overnight, I personally would not worry. But check early tomorrow when she can see. As Kiki said, you never know what they will do but I feel pretty good about your chances.


I'd try the other hen first, I think your odds are better. Some people believe a hen has to set 21 days before she accepts chicks. That's not been my experience, I had a hen accept chicks two days after starting being broody. But I do think your odds are better if she has been broody for a while. Also, not all of my hens are broody enough to deserve eggs, let alone chicks, when they first go broody. With some it hits like a ton of bricks but with some they have to work their way into it.

You can always try that second hen if the first one fails. It might work, it might not. You never know what will work.


I often have eggs hatch two full days early under a broody hen, about the opposite of your experience. Even under a broody that 21 day thing is just a general target, not a sure thing. That's why many of us suggest patience before you do anything dramatic. Next time you'll know.

But were you counting the days correctly? An egg does not have 24 hours' worth of development immediately after it goes under the broody. It takes 24 hours for it to have a day's worth of development and you can say "1" when you start counting. An easy way to check your counting is that the day of the week you set them is the day of the week that 21 days are up. If you start them on a Friday the 21 days are up on a Friday.

That's a real common error on here, happens all the time. Your three were still late, even if you did this, but maybe not quite as late as you thought. Anyway, good luck!

It's just getting dark here in Ireland, so I will try tonight. Yaeh I realise that the 21 days is not a definite science & have had eggs hatch on 22 or 23 before. The eggs she was sitting on were sent next day delivery & I (mistakenly) thought this was the reason they failed. It's all a learning curve no matter how many years we've been keeping chickens, always something new to keep us guessing. Thanks for your advice, will let you know how things turn out.

 

[lulubell15]

Happy Happy Happy
Placed the 3 chicks in with momma & the 3 slightly older ones last night & all getting along great today.
Many thanks for all the good advice.