broody chicken - stick a chick under her?

[juliacale]

I have a buff orp. thats gone broody. Would it work to just stick a chick under her? Would she then but 'unbroody'? would she take care of the chick? how do you even go about doing that?

 

[ksacres]

You can do this, but only with newly hatched, and I mean NEWLY (right after they are fluffy) hatched chick. Wait until night time and sneak it under her-if she has eggs, take them at the same time. She should stay on the nest a bit longer-up to a couple days. She should talk to the chick when she feels it move under her. If she doesn't, she's not accepting it. You have to do it with a new chick because a hen stays on her nest until all the chicks that will hatch have had a chance to do so. That's where the absorbed yolk comes into play.

Forgot to add: She still won't lay for you right away while she's taking care of "her" chick. If you want her to lay, you have to break the cycle altogether. Put her in a wire bottomed cage in a brightly lit area until she stops puffing and growling.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, the way I've done it is let the hen sit for at least two weeks, then giver her a day old. Less time for the hen, less apt she is to accept the chick, and older the chick, greater chance of a hungry chick and rejection. It does break them though but it will still be a month or two before she lays.

 

[juliacale]

how would i go about doing this? she growls at me if I even look at her...

 

[eggzettera]

Like ksacres said do it at night when she is "sleeping" she will be disoriented, try do it quickly. JMHO

edit - DO it not "to" it...

 

[juliacale]

sorry, one more question.

How many chicks should I stick under her?

 

[silkiechicken]

If you just want to break her, one is enough.