Mamahenning10
In the Brooder
- Jul 28, 2017
- 12
- 4
- 31
I have been lurking for a while and using this site for most of my questions, however, this is my first post!! I am new to owning chickens but we just bought 8 acres and we're gifed 33 assorted chicks in March/April.
Here's some background so you can better understand my situation/dilema..
I have a broody hen. She is not ours just someone's who asked to keep his flock on our property for a short time, which has turned into a not so short time, she has been sitting on her 7 eggs for about 26 days yesterday. One egg hatched on day 20 and I took the chick as my husband thought she'd leave the eggs if she had a chick. After almost a week of her chick being in my brooder with my 11 new babies born the day before hers.. I decided to candle her remaining eggs all of which were duds. She is such a good hen and very fierce and protective so I wanted to give her the chick she did hatch back, at which point my hubby suggested I try letting her mother some of our broods as well.
Seeing how it has been 6 to 7 days I moved her inside and began reading countless posts about introducing chicks to a broody hen. I hate to let her parenting skills go would waste.
Last night at night fall I waited for her to settle from the move and then proceeded to sneak her chick and one of my bantam with the same color pattern as her chick (from all the research I've done I've concluded she is a Dutch bantam due to her looks) she immediately started clucking and cooing and I heard them quite right down. I stayed quietly listening for about 30min. Didnt sleep all night thinking shed reject them and then this morning I peeked in and no sign of babes, so I immediately imagine them mangled and dead underneath her so I grabbed one of my other chicks and held it alone in front of her cage to get her to hopefully stand to get a glimpse of the chicks I place last night and low and behold she wanted the chick I was holding and took it straight in under her. At which point I seen the other two safely tucked away too. So I brought another and she readily accepted it.
I plan to introduce the remainder of my brood babies tonight with the exception of maybe a few I am not sure she'll accept but want your advice first! I have in my 11 chicks 3 black chicks (that turn into the black and grey speckled looking ones that I can't remember the name of for the life of me ) 3 yellow polish, 5 bantam; 4 with feathered feet & one with stripe's she currently has accepted her baby, 2 bantam chicks with feathered feet & the striped bantam.
I guess my question after all this is do you think she'd accept a mulatitude if colors and types and is mixing small bantam with regular sized chicks a good idea or should I only give the regular sized chicks and separate any bantams?
Any advice is appreciated. I love my babies and have just this spring raised in the brooder my older mix all together of 3 orpingtons, 6 americauna, 6 white leg horn, 6 rir, 2 bantams, 2 black sexlink, 2 brahmas, 2 turkeys & 3 guinea fowls and only lost one just recently when one of my quinea''s was taken after not going into the roost for the night. It was the only night I foroot to count them too
Sorry for the rambling.. first post jitters is what I will blame it on! Thanks to those who actually read it!
Here's some background so you can better understand my situation/dilema..
I have a broody hen. She is not ours just someone's who asked to keep his flock on our property for a short time, which has turned into a not so short time, she has been sitting on her 7 eggs for about 26 days yesterday. One egg hatched on day 20 and I took the chick as my husband thought she'd leave the eggs if she had a chick. After almost a week of her chick being in my brooder with my 11 new babies born the day before hers.. I decided to candle her remaining eggs all of which were duds. She is such a good hen and very fierce and protective so I wanted to give her the chick she did hatch back, at which point my hubby suggested I try letting her mother some of our broods as well.
Seeing how it has been 6 to 7 days I moved her inside and began reading countless posts about introducing chicks to a broody hen. I hate to let her parenting skills go would waste.
Last night at night fall I waited for her to settle from the move and then proceeded to sneak her chick and one of my bantam with the same color pattern as her chick (from all the research I've done I've concluded she is a Dutch bantam due to her looks) she immediately started clucking and cooing and I heard them quite right down. I stayed quietly listening for about 30min. Didnt sleep all night thinking shed reject them and then this morning I peeked in and no sign of babes, so I immediately imagine them mangled and dead underneath her so I grabbed one of my other chicks and held it alone in front of her cage to get her to hopefully stand to get a glimpse of the chicks I place last night and low and behold she wanted the chick I was holding and took it straight in under her. At which point I seen the other two safely tucked away too. So I brought another and she readily accepted it.
I plan to introduce the remainder of my brood babies tonight with the exception of maybe a few I am not sure she'll accept but want your advice first! I have in my 11 chicks 3 black chicks (that turn into the black and grey speckled looking ones that I can't remember the name of for the life of me ) 3 yellow polish, 5 bantam; 4 with feathered feet & one with stripe's she currently has accepted her baby, 2 bantam chicks with feathered feet & the striped bantam.
I guess my question after all this is do you think she'd accept a mulatitude if colors and types and is mixing small bantam with regular sized chicks a good idea or should I only give the regular sized chicks and separate any bantams?
Any advice is appreciated. I love my babies and have just this spring raised in the brooder my older mix all together of 3 orpingtons, 6 americauna, 6 white leg horn, 6 rir, 2 bantams, 2 black sexlink, 2 brahmas, 2 turkeys & 3 guinea fowls and only lost one just recently when one of my quinea''s was taken after not going into the roost for the night. It was the only night I foroot to count them too
Sorry for the rambling.. first post jitters is what I will blame it on! Thanks to those who actually read it!
