Broody Hen and Day Old Chicks

[backyardgirls]

I have my first broody hen. (Daisy - Buff Orp.) She has been sitting on the same 3 eggs for about 2 weeks. The eggs are not fertile (no roos).

Can I put a couple of day old chicks from the feed store under her on day 21. I only have room for 2 more hens, that's why I didn't get any hatching eggs.

Will she accept them? I don't want any babies to get hurt.

 

[Catalina]

If you use the Search funtion in the blue bar on the top of the page and search for broody hen day old chicks or adding chicks to broody hen, you'll get a ton of threads.

Some people have success and their hen accepts the chicks and others don't and the hen rejects the chicks.

Good luck!

 

[Daycare Mom]

I have to agree, in this case, "search" is your friend.

 

[flakey chick]

Please someone lots of answers on this post. I was just about to post the same topic! I tried to do what you asked about and I researched here and elsewhere. I need more info. I'll share my experience (+ pics) and ask a few more questions. My bantam went broody 1 month after starting to lay. I put 2 RIR chicks under her Tuesday night. Wednesday morning she was clucking to them and they were softly peeping too.

ACCEPTED

I checked on them a while later and they were at the far end of the nest box. I picked them up and as I brought them past her, she made the worst broody screetch and would have NOTHING to do with them.
REJECTED

This late rejection flies in the face of everything I read. I really wanted to put bantams under her instead (`cause that's what I want to add to my flock). Now the feed store has bantams and I am thinking of trying again. I think the RIRs may have been a week or so old. The bantams JUST came in and should be a just a couple days old. I thought she had been broody 3 weeks, but it's kind of hard to tell. It took here a while to fully comit to being broody.

1. Should I try it again?
2. Do I need to remove the wooden eggs?
3. Anything else I can do to improve the chances?

 

[Catalina]

Try in the middle of the night, take away the eggs.

But chickens are smart so it may not work.

Good luck.

 

[flakey chick]

Thank you for your help, we have success! I think the others were just too old (just a little over 1 week). She seemed fine with them until she saw them. These bantam newbies were just a couple days old, much easier to slip under her too. She sees them and has them eatting with her so I would be very surprised if she changes her mind now.

 

[rikku_03]

Quote:
I wonder if she accepted them because they are the same breed as her

 

[flakey chick]

No, she is a mutt EE. Not sure what the others are, but they are all bantams. Each is a way different color. Unfortunately her flock mate didn't like them and I don't know what I am going to do.

I only had 2 bantam pullets they needed more flock mates as each would be lonely when the other was laying. When the one went broody I thought it would be the least stressful way to add to the flock. Hah! They shared a double wide nest box that they shared all while Nissa was broody. Once the little ones appeared, Belinda was not willing to share with them. She grabbed one up and ran off with it. I intervened and saved it. Now they are separated with mom and babies inside. Belinda is even more alone now. I'm not sure when I can introduce them again.