Broody and new babies

[BroodyMama1]

Hey guys! Getting some new babies on the 4th. I currently have a broody hen (about 2 weeks) her first ever brood. She’s 1 of my 8 girls. Is there any way I could trick her into thinking the babies are hers safely and that way she can do the work? I don’t want her or any of the others to hurt them and I’m already prepared to do the 8 weeks with heat lamp and slow introduction but if this could help with all that and let her be a mommy Id rather do that.

 

[bobbi-j]

I have had broodies adopt babies quite a few times. I will slip the babies under her at night, taking the eggs as I add chicks. It has worked for me. Others will let the chicks get a little chilled (not cold enough to harm them) and add the chicks during the day.

If you do need to brood them yourself, you don't need a heat lamp for 8 weeks. You can add the chicks to the flock at 4-5 weeks if you have safe places for them to go where the hens can't get them. Ideally, you would be able to brood the chicks in the coop where the hens can see them, but not touch them so they get used to their presence before integrating. When chicks are added at a younger age, the hens apparently see them as less of a threat to their resources than if you add larger birds. I have tried it and it did go well.

 

[micstrachan]

I have heard you can swap the eggs out with chicks at night and she will raise them. But my friend has her broody silkie raise all her chicks in a crate inside the house and has her protect them from the flock when it’s time to integrate, too!

 

[BroodyMama1]

Ok so should I bring her in and start that way? Would that be better/safer? Also she’s only been broody for about 2 weeks does that matter? And switch as many chicks as eggs?

 

[bobbi-j]

I let my broodies raise their chicks within the flock. The younger the chicks are when they are integrated, the more the mama will protect her babies from the flock. After about 4 weeks, the hen is ready to wean them so they are pretty much without protection after that point. It makes integration more difficult for the chicks then.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What is your broody hen sitting on? Fertile eggs? Anything? That could make a difference if she has fertile eggs under her. If you can time the new day old chicks with when her eggs hatch that would be great.

Assuming she is not about to hatch any chicks, my suggestion is to get the chicks as young as you can and stick them under her after it gets dark. You don't even have to put them under her, just put them bedside her. They will find their way under her. It does not have to be hard.

If the chicks are 3 days old or less the chances of her accepting them are really high. The older the chicks are the less likely it will work, but occasionally you will get a hen that will take older chicks. In any case, check early the next morning to see how it is going. If she is not attacking them or they are standing a long way from her it is going well.

Broody hens cannot count. I've taken four eggs out from under a broody and stuck as many as 16 chicks under her. No problems. Matching chicks with eggs sounds good but it is not really necessary.

I also let my broody hens raise their chicks with the flock. Lots of people do isolate broody hens and chicks from the flock but I'd prefer the hen to take care of integration so I don't have to later.

 

[chickens really]

Hello...Possibly she will take them?
There is a chance though that being a first time Broody she will not accept them at all. Some first time Broody Hens love setting eggs but kill all the Chicks as they hatch.
Two weeks of Broody behaviour should not matter. They don't know time. Also if the Chicks are human imprinted they might not take to Momma?.
Heat lamp is not needed. That's what the Hen is for. Chicks can be integrated into the Flock the first few days after hatch if Momma is a good Momma. No one messes with a Broody and her Chicks.

 

[Kelly&Co]

We just did this with our first ever broody, so here's our experience.

Our broody was sitting on six eggs, but there was bullying by others wanting to lay in the nest, so far from ideal. Last week, all but one had stopped developing and then on Saturday (after sitting on them about 2 1/2 weeks) the last viable egg apparently got broken.

Since she had been sitting so long we bought some chicks, brought them home and gave them food and water and put them under her that night. The chicks were probably 5 days old, but not many options for younger ones. She seemed to settle really well that night so we went to bed. We also blocked off the nest box so the others couldn't disturb them in the morning.

The next morning we checked and she seemed fine with the chicks. They were all around and on her, no big deal. But I took them some food moistened into mush and well, her maternal instincts weren't quite active yet. She was quite hungry and did not want to share. She even pecked at one of the chicks a couple times to warn it away. I just about pulled the chicks away from her then. The chick took shelter under her and she was fine with that and the chicks were able to get some mush in and had other food available. It was time to leave for church, so I said a prayer and left them and worried the rest of the morning

When we got home they were fine and we could tell the broody was doing much better with them. That afternoon into a wire cage in the coop to give them a bit more room and to let the other pullets use the nest box. Tuesday morning she was ready to leave the cage and roam with the chicks in the flock. She's gotten better over time at making sure the chicks are following her, but she's still ready to run off without them if she thinks there are treats to be had, but she'll go looking for them once she comes to her senses, lol!

Our main stuggle at this point is that she's downright mean to the older chicks we're brooding in the coop if they don't stay far away from her. But, that's a different struggle.

So, I guess the moral of the story is that it can work with a first time buyer hen, it just might not be smooth at first.

 

[BroodyMama1]

Ya I raised these girls from day one. The chicks I’m getting are “day ones” but of course are getting shipped so they will be a few days old. I have no Roos so they eggs she sits on are not hatch able and we take them every night. So when I get them I should just let her sit in those eggs for the whole day and then late at night go do the switch? What about the others hens in the coop? Will they leave the babies alone? I’m worried about going in the next morning to dead or hurt babies.

 

[chickens really]

Ya I raised these girls from day one. The chicks I’m getting are “day ones” but of course are getting shipped so they will be a few days old. I have no Roos so they eggs she sits on are not hatch able and we take them every night. So when I get them I should just let her sit in those eggs for the whole day and then late at night go do the switch? What about the others hens in the coop? Will they leave the babies alone? I’m worried about going in the next morning to dead or hurt babies.

Move her to a Brooder with her eggs and have her settle on them. I do it all the time. Wait a few days before moving her to the Coop again to see if she bonds with the adopted Chicks ..