Broody chicken and day old chicks

[Yardmom]

The mother who has a month old chick is not likely to sit on the chicks. Even if she does it is not likely she would slow down enough or stay with them for a full brood time.
Nothing is for sure when dealing with live animals. Although it is rare, some hens kill their own chicks at hatch. Not every broody will accept foster chicks.
@Mrs. K has great advice for how to go about giving a broody hen chicks. Sometimes a hen will take the chicks no matter how you introduce them. Some will only except them when it is done precisely enough that the hen is fooled into thinking she actually hatched them, and a few won't have excepted them even if they did hatch them.
Having a backup to brood chicks on your own is a must.

 

[MarlaMac]

The mother who has a month old chick is not likely to sit on the chicks. Even if she does it is not likely she would slow down enough or stay with them for a full brood time.
Nothing is for sure when dealing with live animals. Although it is rare, some hens kill their own chicks at hatch. Not every broody will accept foster chicks.
@Mrs. K has great advice for how to go about giving a broody hen chicks. Sometimes a hen will take the chicks no matter how you introduce them. Some will only except them when it is done precisely enough that the hen is fooled into thinking she actually hatched them, and a few won't have excepted them even if they did hatch them.
Having a backup to brood chicks on your own is a must.

Thanks. I am going to try to introduce them again to her today. If she doesn't accept them, then I will brood them myself. Not what I wanted, but still acceptable. Then I will have to break that broody.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am wondering if you let the chicks get cold. People tend to think that it is all the mama's fault, but really it is a two way street. The chicks need to want to burrow under her. If they are cold and a bit stressed, they will snuggle in and go to sleep. Being as they came out from under her, she is pecking at them to get them to go back under her.

I would wait until tonight, and try again. Then if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

I would not give them to the mother of a month old chick.


Mrs K

 

[MarlaMac]

I am wondering if you let the chicks get cold. People tend to think that it is all the mama's fault, but really it is a two way street. The chicks need to want to burrow under her. If they are cold and a bit stressed, they will snuggle in and go to sleep. Being as they came out from under her, she is pecking at them to get them to go back under her.

I would wait until tonight, and try again. Then if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

I would not give them to the mother of a month old chick.


Mrs K

Thank you. It seemed to me that as they moved under her, she would stand up and peck at them.

Today, when she left the nest, I took some broke in half egg shells, put the where her other shells were and placed the chicks in the brood area. When she came back in she looked at the shells sat on them and pushed them under her, crushing them of course. The chicks stayed in a corner for a bit and mom sat looking at the chicks. She didn't attack the which I thought was good, but when one came over to her (I left windows open so they would get chilled) she immediately peck the chick and sent it running.

She is currently in broody jail to break her. I hope that is easy - she has been broody for 28+ days. She did immediately roost instead of snuggle on the wire floor so perhaps a good sign.

I have a chicks set up in our coop extension and plan on just doing the brooding myself. I don't think I can stand another stressful night. Good thing, I have learned a bit from this.

Also, I think this broody is the same broody who hatched out one baby a year or so ago and promptly abandoned it at 2 weeks to fend for himself. We have all black australorps (until now) and I didn't mark her at that time, but she is marked now. So perhaps is a broody type, but not a mother type (?).

Perhaps I am a whimp, but the stress was horrible.

 

[MarlaMac]

Thank you. It seemed to me that as they moved under her, she would stand up and peck at them.

Today, when she left the nest, I took some broke in half egg shells, put the where her other shells were and placed the chicks in the brood area. When she came back in she looked at the shells sat on them and pushed them under her, crushing them of course. The chicks stayed in a corner for a bit and mom sat looking at the chicks. She didn't attack the which I thought was good, but when one came over to her (I left windows open so they would get chilled) she immediately peck the chick and sent it running.

She is currently in broody jail to break her. I hope that is easy - she has been broody for 28+ days. She did immediately roost instead of snuggle on the wire floor so perhaps a good sign.

I have a chicks set up in our coop extension and plan on just doing the brooding myself. I don't think I can stand another stressful night. Good thing, I have learned a bit from this.

Also, I think this broody is the same broody who hatched out one baby a year or so ago and promptly abandoned it at 2 weeks to fend for himself. We have all black australorps (until now) and I didn't mark her at that time, but she is marked now. So perhaps is a broody type, but not a mother type (?).

Perhaps I am a whimp, but the stress was horrible.

After thinking about what you said @Mrs. K said about the chicks not being cold enough. I am sure you are absolutely right on. Last night was very warm and humid and we probably didn't give the chicks enough time to get cold.

So...I let broody out of broody jail. If she returns to a nest, I am going to try again tonight. I beg your indulgence, @Mrs. K . If you could please answer a few questions.

Right now the chicks are in the coop extension with a heater and space to run around. We live in a one bedroom house so I would like to keep them there until we try again. Broody will have to set up shop in a nest box.

Tonight will be 87 @ sunset (8:37pm CST), 82 @ 10pm. Feels like 5 degrees higher, so 92 & 86, respectfully.

Is this cold enough if I try the swap @ 10 - my husband would prefer 9 w/ feels like 88. I could also bring the chicks in the house for an hour (?) to cool them down in a 72 degree room.

Have a ruined it by moving broody and putting the chicks out in the coop area where everyone has seen them already?

Thanks for your input!

 

[MarlaMac]

After thinking about what you said @Mrs. K said about the chicks not being cold enough. I am sure you are absolutely right on. Last night was very warm and humid and we probably didn't give the chicks enough time to get cold.

So...I let broody out of broody jail. If she returns to a nest, I am going to try again tonight. I beg your indulgence, @Mrs. K . If you could please answer a few questions.

Right now the chicks are in the coop extension with a heater and space to run around. We live in a one bedroom house so I would like to keep them there until we try again. Broody will have to set up shop in a nest box.

Tonight will be 87 @ sunset (8:37pm CST), 82 @ 10pm. Feels like 5 degrees higher, so 92 & 86, respectfully.

Is this cold enough if I try the swap @ 10 - my husband would prefer 9 w/ feels like 88. I could also bring the chicks in the house for an hour (?) to cool them down in a 72 degree room.

Have a ruined it by moving broody and putting the chicks out in the coop area where everyone has seen them already?

Thanks for your input!

I did let broody out of her jail. I just checked and she did go back into a nest. I took the real eggs from her (she wasn't pleased) and place six fake eggs in the box with her. She eagerly pulled them under her.

There is no way I can get to the back of the nest box - it is against the wall. There are holes in the spacers between nesting boxes that might be a viable option to get chicks to her rear. If I can't is that going to be a problem? Thank you.

 

[MarlaMac]

I did let broody out of her jail. I just checked and she did go back into a nest. I took the real eggs from her (she wasn't pleased) and place six fake eggs in the box with her. She eagerly pulled them under her.

There is no way I can get to the back of the nest box - it is against the wall. There are holes in the spacers between nesting boxes that might be a viable option to get chicks to her rear. If I can't is that going to be a problem? Thank you.

Getting ready to go out and try this again. Turned off the brooder heater around 7pm. Temp is currently a feels like 86 degrees. Windows open around the chicks and chicks are cheaping away.

Watching broody through a camera and she is listening and looking around under her. Hopefully this works.

All my other chicks have been broody hatches and were out of the coop with mom on day two. It saddens me that these girls might not make it out of the coop for 3 weeks or so as we build a small run for them in the larger run which is not that big because it serves only as a gathering place for out chicken who free range from sun up to sun down.

If you are a praying person, I would appreciate that right now.

Thanks!

 

[MarlaMac]

Getting ready to go out and try this again. Turned off the brooder heater around 7pm. Temp is currently a feels like 86 degrees. Windows open around the chicks and chicks are cheaping away.

Watching broody through a camera and she is listening and looking around under her. Hopefully this works.

All my other chicks have been broody hatches and were out of the coop with mom on day two. It saddens me that these girls might not make it out of the coop for 3 weeks or so as we build a small run for them in the larger run which is not that big because it serves only as a gathering place for out chicken who free range from sun up to sun down.

If you are a praying person, I would appreciate that right now.

Thanks!

Just put chicks in a box and set next to broody. She is checking under her pretty intensely. I hope this is a good sign.

 

[MarlaMac]

Just put chicks in a box and set next to broody. She is checking under her pretty intensely. I hope this is a good sign.

Complete fail. She started pecking them as soon as we put the first baby in with her. By the time all six were in there, she was going crazy and the babies were all trying to scatter.

I guess I need to be momma for the next several weeks. I know there is a lesson in this for me.

Thanks, everyone for your advice. Maybe next time.

 

[Mrs. K]

When it works, it is so easy, and when it doesn’t, it is so darn hard. Don’t stress about it or feel bad. The chicks are safe, in a few weeks they will be growing up and a nice addition to your flock.