Broody hen gets some chicks

[pewterchick]

put in wrong thread

Have this mix hen EE/buff orp/silkie she raised chicks last year and had gone broody last week.
Sooo I was at the feed store and looked at the chicks grabbed some from the rainbow mix.
Got 4,they might be speckled Sussex,welsummers or some other red type chicks.
Then seen the bantam mix so I grabbed 5 ,4 of them look like black cochin bantams and one that looks like a blue cochin bantam.
Took out 18 eggs

she was trying to sit on and put the chicks under her .She started clucking at them after I took the eggs and they where all tucked under her.
Will check them before daylight and give them food and put in a ramp for them to get down.

Will take pics in the morning.
The 18 eggs went into the incubator.

 

[pewterchick]

I went out before dawn and moved her to the lower level and made a small ramp. She did not like being moved but settled down right away when she felt chicks back under her.





She was getting very mad at me. But she excepted all the chicks and they hide under her so all is well.

 

[pewterchick]

Well I gave her 8 more chicks Saturday and she took them with no problem. Found one drowned today from original group I put under her

Had to sneak one from under her and clean its very pasty bottom. I put on a hoody and gloves and went right in under her for the chick getting pecked and bit.
All is good now. I hope some more go broody as I have an over full incubator.

 

[pewterchick]

 

[julieb41]

I didn't know you could give a broody hen chicks to raise - I'm learning loads here

. I put eggs in the incubator a couple of days ago, and I have a broody sussex. Do you think she will still be broody by the time the eggs hatch? Is that what dummy eggs are for, to keep the hen broody? Do you have to put the chicks under her at night?

 

[pewterchick]

I didn't know you could give a broody hen chicks to raise - I'm learning loads here

. I put eggs in the incubator a couple of days ago, and I have a broody sussex. Do you think she will still be broody by the time the eggs hatch? Is that what dummy eggs are for, to keep the hen broody? Do you have to put the chicks under her at night?

I have never used dummy eggs,alot of people use them to show hens where to lay.I suppose you could use them to keep her on the nest if she is broody.I did it at night because that's what I read on here,people seam to have success with it.I know I did.
This hen had hatched her own eggs last year and raised them.

 

[julieb41]

Do you need to keep that chicken and the chicks separate from other chickens? Will other chickens harm the chicks when they are so small?

 

[pewterchick]

Do you need to keep that chicken and the chicks separate from other chickens? Will other chickens harm the chicks when they are so small?

She protects them from the flock,I let them free range with the flock.

 

[julieb41]

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely give this a try.

 

[pewterchick]

Well I have another broody she is a EE or looks like one. Got her last year as a chick along with a little blue pullet who is now a hen that lays huge eggs.
I am going to set her up with chicks I now have hatching.
Will do that tomorrow on my day off.I will put the others in a different pen and let her raise babies in peace as the pen would be to small for everyone with added babies.