Broody hen on infertile eggs - can I get chicks under her?

[GallopingGoat]

Just wondering what the protocol is for a broody hen on eggs that wont hatch. I would like to get some chicks under her, but don't want a mass slaughter on my hands - is there a method for doing this successfully? All I know so far is to make sure the chicks are only days old, and to switch them at night. Any other words of wisdom?

Thanks

 

[So cal chickens]

I have put baby chicks that were a week old and put them under a broody many times and never had anything happen (chickens are dump) they dont know if they hatched the chicks or not my only advice is you slip the babies under her at night and make sure it is very dark and then check back in the morning to make sure she is caring for them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are dealing with living animals. There are no guarantees.

But you have the gist of it. The younger the chicks the better. Put them in the nest with her at night, after it is dark and she has settled down. Use as little light and commotion as possible. Try to do it soon after it turns really dark so the chicks can spend all night under her instead of sticking them in there just before sunrise. I usually do it around 10:00 p.m.

Some people have been successful doing this a couple of days after the hen has gone broody, but it is probably better to wait a couple of weeks if you can. A hen can't count, but it seems to go better if you are somewhere around her third week or later.

Just check them out early the next morning. I leave them on the nest until the hen brings them off. Once it looks like she has accepted them, I try to leave them alone.

Good luck! It usually works.

 

[GallopingGoat]

Thanks so much. She has been broody for about 10 days now, so that will give me time to get some chicks here.