Broody adopting chicks.. need help!

[Mamahenning10]

I

my rule of Hen chick Raising: Banty Hen - Banty chicks , Standard Chickens can Raise any thing.

Did I understand: your going to keep the Hen & chicks Or will the Neighbor get her back ?

We plan to keep them. They are all caged in smallish to mediumish wire makeshift pens the owner brought with them. When I seen he had allowed her and a rooster to make eggs I took her and told him I wouldn't give her back unless he bettered their living conditions. He is a poor excuse for a chicken owner. It has been a month and he's don't nothing so as far as I am concerned she is mine. As is her chick. He truly doesn't care for these chickens or he'd have taken better care of them.

 

[1TurkenLover]

Thank you so much for starting this thread, since I can't keep a roo (city b/s) and my girls are getting older, I am ready to add to my flock. I have girls that go broody fairly regularly and was wondering #1. If I let them sit on fake eggs for a while and then replaced the eggs with day old chicks at night, would the hen accept them. Already have a broody set-up from the days when we had a roo. Have been afraid to try, didn't want to harm any new chicks and I work so would rather have a chicken mom do the work. Have hatched the old fashioned way before, so I am comfortable with that. #2. Have also considered just placing fertile eggs under a broody. Anyone tried that successfully before?

1. I've had the most Success with Wooden eggs. 21 Days to Hatch, If your going to Switch out Chicks for fake eggs. allow for Shipping time, trade out @ night. Hen should accept them if done slowly, trade 2 eggs for 2 chicks, next night switch out 2 more etc
I do two @ a time just because it's quicker. that way age/size difference would be same.

2. I've done this as well, Less Successful, Some hens Just Quit Sitting @ different times in 21 days . of this my Best success was with Banty hen & 5 eggs. when I put more under hen would toss out a few along the 21 day time.

Depending where U live what works best for being Outside.

 

[1TurkenLover]

I

We plan to keep them. They are all caged in smallish to medium-ish wire makeshift pens the owner brought with them. When I seen he had allowed her and a rooster to make eggs I took her and told him I wouldn't give her back unless he bettered their living conditions. He is a poor excuse for a chicken owner. It has been a month and he's don't nothing so as far as I am concerned she is mine. As is her chick. He truly doesn't care for these chickens or he'd have taken better care of them.

Pictures, . . . we Need Pic here

Hens will make Eggs With Out a Rooster, about every day and Half. to get Chicks on the other hand you Need a Boy.

It's great that you Neighbor trusted U enough to even Bring over the flock. we're Country here & i see many chickens who should be taken away.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

1. I've had the most Success with Wooden eggs. 21 Days to Hatch, If your going to Switch out Chicks for fake eggs. allow for Shipping time, trade out @ night. Hen should accept them if done slowly, trade 2 eggs for 2 chicks, next night switch out 2 more etc
I do two @ a time just because it's quicker. that way age/size difference would be same.

2. I've done this as well, Less Successful, Some hens Just Quit Sitting @ different times in 21 days . of this my Best success was with Banty hen & 5 eggs. when I put more under hen would toss out a few along the 21 day time.
Thank you, I've only done this once with six eggs under a full sized broody hen, 4 hatched and 2 stopped growing at some point, not sure why. We are in the Gulf South, so not a lot of cold days and this was done in late spring, so I don't think temp was an issue. The hen was fairly young however. We are going into the warmest part of the year (low temp over night usually not lower than 80) does anyone know if temp affects sex of hatchlings? Don't need roos, can't keep them. really wish I could. Might try 4 biddies. Thoughts, anyone?
Depending where U live what works best for being Outside.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Sorry, didn't take my reply. Thought I would try 4 biddies, have done this before with a young broody and 6 eggs, 4 hatched and 2 stopped growing at some point, not sure why. We are in the gulf south, and it was late spring so I don't think temp was an issue. Getting ready to go into hotest time of year (lows over night in the 80s), does temp affect the sex of the hatchlings? In case I go with eggs instead. I can't keep a roo, although we have had one, obviously when we put the 6 eggs under the broody. Thoughts, anyone?

 

[Mamahenning10]

I just tried to remove her last 2 eggs but she got all riled up and was getting to rough for me to comfortablyremove them without the fear of babies being stepped on. I have since added the 3 black chicks, the last feather footed Banty and 2 of the polish but they're peeping their little hearts out and her cluck aren't calming them so I am worrying that they may be a little too old to bond to her going to wait a half an he and check back in. I hope she doesn't hurt them in the pitch black. I'm a nervous wreck

Pictures, . . . we Need Pic here

Hens will make Eggs With Out a Rooster, about every day and Half. to get Chicks on the other hand you Need a Boy.

It's great that you Neighbor trusted U enough to even Bring over the flock. we're Country here & i see many chickens who should be taken away.

Actually they are just an old family friend of my husband's that we don't even know who brought them here on a "temporary" basis. They were and still somewhat are in very poor condition. He has 1 to 2 hens per his 4 Game roosters and they were and still are missing feathers and some of the roosters are missing most of the top or bottom beaks due to fighting at each other through fences. The hens are in much better condition then most of the males. I don't know what to do with the males and never intended to keep them but there are 2 hens that are always broody and so sweet. Just today I went back to count and lock mine in for the night and seen he has another hen that he put in with the same male I took this hen from when she went broody and started laying just 26 days ago and now she's on eggs so I have moved her as well. I will move her to a broody pen as I don't like playing chick adopt with hens I barely know but once I see how they do mother I may feel better.

 

[Mamahenning10]

So bitty babies are settled down and quiet as is the hen.
However after more searching on the Internet after seeing just how fierce she can get I looked up whatexact type of hen she is and I think the true type of hen she is (which is standard sized) is an Old English Gamefowl and that is why she is so mean. It is also why the roosters we have in the back looks so rough because they have escaped at various times before coming her and have fought through he cages because apparently this breed.. they are also used for fighting I am scared now that I gave her my babies but it's a little to late. I have my alarm set for just before dawn to be there when she actually sees them for the first time in the light of day.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Old English Game have a bad rep because of their fighting history, but I have the bantam version and mine are the sweetest of all my breeds. I think that is bad judgement such as judging certain breeds of dogs when instead the individual and their upbringing is more important. The way those males act is likely because of the conditions they are kept in. Too many males and not enough females can result in a lot of fighting.

A broody or mothering hen is often a bit mean and overprotective so that may be the case here.

 

[Mamahenning10]

I

Old English Game have a bad rep because of their fighting history, but I have the bantam version and mine are the sweetest of all my breeds. I think that is bad judgement such as judging certain breeds of dogs when instead the individual and their upbringing is more important. The way those males act is likely because of the conditions they are kept in. Too many males and not enough females can result in a lot of fighting.

A broody or mothering hen is often a bit mean and overprotective so that may be the case here.

have been reading a lot all night and I have seen plenty of raving about what fierce and protective mom's they make. I am going to hope that since she is so agressive she will just make an amazing mom. So far she is accepting all chicks. She is still holding onto the eggs I can't get away without risking hurting them.

So new question since these chicks are now a week old should I move them from the small dog crate indoors to the nice 10x10 ft dog kennel we have prepped for just this reason that is in the middle of our coop? Or should I give her more time in the tiny kennel? The chicks are all over her and kind of cramped. Plus maybe giving them some grass and grazing room may tempt her to get off the eggs to teach the chicks.

 

[Mamahenning10]

I was planning to just move the entire dog cage to the inside of the dog kennel for them to nest in as well but just have the kennel for grazing and too see the flock.