broody buff

[3sweetchicks]

My buff orphington has gone broody. She's been sitting on everyone's eggs for about 4 days now. We don't have a rooster, and only have 3 hens. I'm wondering if i just get 2 newly hatched chicks form the farm supply and swap them out with her eggs at night if she will raise them? Does anyone have any experience with this? Will I have to seperate them from the other 2 hens?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My buff orphington has gone broody. She's been sitting on everyone's eggs for about 4 days now. We don't have a rooster, and only have 3 hens. I'm wondering if i just get 2 newly hatched chicks form the farm supply and swap them out with her eggs at night if she will raise them? Does anyone have any experience with this? Will I have to seperate them from the other 2 hens?

I would make her sit for three weeks to see if she was serious.

Then, if you buy the chicks, be prepared to raise them if she rejects them (happened to me). Keep in mind that you should ideally wait to integrate a younger flock of chickens until they are around the same size as the older flock. That is a lot of work and separate coop/run needed.

AT NIGHT sneak them under her as you said. This is risky. She might kill them. But if you do it during the day as I did, so I could make sure she didn't harm them, she might reject them.

You might not have to separate her since there are only two other hens. Some mamas are better than others and will protect the chicks just fine.

I'd personally see how it goes with her raising them but you have to give her a nesting box on the floor so the chicks can come and go to eat and drink.

 

[3sweetchicks]

Thanks. I'll wait a few weeks and see....

 

[Woodcox Acre]

Do you not have a neighbor or someone that you could get a few firtle eggs from? Thats what I did just a few days ago and our broody hen has excepted the eggs just fine.