Broody Hen and Baby Chicks

[BearClan05]

I have a broody buff orp. We just got 6 more chicks today and they are currently inside our house in a feeding trough with warmer (I can bring trough to deck very easily to keep them outside).

My question is: Could I bring the buff orp into the feeding trough (in house or on deck) with the babies rather than bringing them out to the coop.

The coop is only "mid-winter cleaned"- which is clean but not super clean. We had a stretch of 10 days of cold- my girls don't like to go outside in the cold. I guess I am not sure how the others in the coop will deal with having babies inside being that it is not easy to separate out areas in the coop. And if it is cold...they hang out in the coop...

 

[cavemanrich]

Not sure of your setup,,, BUT let me offer the best way to do this.

If your hen is broody,,, Is she sitting on eggs??
If so,,, then it is best to slip chicks under broody at night in darkness. Of course, it is also best to have broody, and chicks separated from other hens in your coop.
Can you do such?? If not,, then raise your chicks in brooder in home, until feathered out. Then slowly introduce them to the flock.
I can elaborate more on that when you need to do such.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[Toothpick]

If your broody hen is not a good mother those chicks will get pecked to death within minutes.

I like the above advice - trying to slip them in under the cover of darkness. But it all still depends on if she's a good mother hen or not. I've had 2 batches of chicks that hatched in the coop and the mother hen let them all die. I've had one batch in 8 years that the mother hen protected to adulthood.

There's only one way to find out if you can do it or not and that's just to do it. No one here knows your setup and knows your hens behavior and temperament. Bring her in, set her up with the chicks and see how she does.

BUT IMO...why? Raise those chicks until they are old enough to toss in the coop with the rest then toss them in. If you have some way to get them to know each other beforehand without completely interacting even better.

 

[BearClan05]

So she is not sitting on eggs...I could potentially partition off one nesting box in the corner for her and the chicks- but the others could still get in the area. They are all good girls, but...who knows.

I was more thinking if I could bring the broody orp to where the chicks are in my feeder trough (away from the coop)...and then let her raise them in the horse feeder.

But I will probably just let her run out her broodyness (its driving me nuts) and then intro the babies when they have their feathers and it warms up here.

 

[aart]

A broody will not likely raise chicks unless she has been broody for a couple weeks and the chicks are only a day or two old. Then you can sneak them under her on her broody nest.

Better to plan for another way to integrate new chicks into the flock.
Here's how I do it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[BearClan05]

A broody will not likely raise chicks unless she has been broody for a couple weeks and the chicks are only a day or two old. Then you can sneak them under her on her broody nest.

Better to plan for another way to integrate new chicks into the flock.
Here's how I do it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Thank you- She has been broody for a couple weeks. I will probably introduce when it warms up like I did last time. I was just hoping to break the broodyness. And I really only have today (they are were day olds yesterday). I was thinking I could get 2 more and just put them under her and see what happens, but I wouldn't like it if something happened...

They all seem to get along...I have 9 currently. I will look at the article...but will probably wait til it warms up a little here.

 

[Paz]

I would bring the chicks to the broody, assuming she’s a good broody, at night. In the normal coop.

 

[aart]

And I really only have today (they are were day olds yesterday).

Do it tonight.