Broody hen won't accept her chicks!

[Aunt Angus]

I had a broody who adopted chicks once and refused them when I had new chicks the next season. Try again, but be prepared to raise them yourself.

When I do this, I do it late at night when it's very dark. I sneak the babies under the broody and sit in the coop for a long time. I wait until I hear the mama clucking to the babies. If it's too quiet, that's a bad sign to me. Then o go out again before the chickens wake up and check again to make sure that the mama is clucking and the babies are still under her.

Good luck! It does sometimes take a couple of tries.

 

[HappyClucker7]

maybe wacky but you could put on some you tube sounds of chicks hatching?? Maybe wake her up from her broody trance

I had a broody who adopted chicks once and refused them when I had new chicks the next season. Try again, but be prepared to raise them yourself.

When I do this, I do it late at night when it's very dark. I sneak the babies under the broody and sit in the coop for a long time. I wait until I hear the mama clucking to the babies. If it's too quiet, that's a bad sign to me. Then o go out again before the chickens wake up and check again to make sure that the mama is clucking and the babies are still under her.

Good luck! It does sometimes take a couple of tries.

So, I tried again. It seemed to be working this time, because she was clucking and she let the chicks poke their heads out from under her. But as soon as one of the chicks completely came out from underneath her, she started pecking it again. I think she might just be too young, unfortunately.

 

[McChooky]

Your best bet is to raise them yourself. If she hasn't been sitting on a nest long she knows they aren't hers. You can't fool mother nature.

 

[McChooky]

I have a D'Uccle that has been broody for nearly 3 weeks now. I hatched some chicks, and I slipped them under her last night. She immediately spread herself out over them, and when I went to check later, everything seemed okay. When I checked this morning, the babies were still under her, and again, everything seemed fine. But I noticed she wasn't letting the babies out from under her to eat and drink, so finally, I lifted her and the babies out of the nest.
The babies ran to the food right away and started eating, but the hen just stayed fluffed up. Then, the chicks ran back to mom and started climbing on her, pecking at her comb, etc. She let it happen at first, but suddenly she flipped and started aggressively pecking at the chicks and even throwing them if they went near her, or tried to go under her feathers.
It seems to me that she still just wants to sit on eggs, and she doesn't realize that eggs eventually turn into chicks. She sees them as intruders into her nest.
So now what do I do? Is it a lost cause, or is there still something I can do to get her to accept these babies?

Broody hens talk to their chicks while they're still in the egg and the chicks respond. A broody will push eggs out of the nest that die and chicks that don't respond .If she won't sit on her own eggs and hatch them chances are she probably won't accept chicks. Edit: Some of the best broody hens are those that have raised their own. Putting dummy eggs under them only encourages them to sit.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Broody hens talk to their chicks while they're still in the egg and the chicks respond. A broody will push eggs out of the nest that die and chicks that don't respond .If she won't sit on her own eggs and hatch them chances are she probably won't accept chicks.

I've only had 4 hens go broody. Of those 4, 3 have accepted chicks. I have never allowed any of my chickens to hatch. But I can see how hatching would make them more open to accepting chicks. That just makes sense.

 

[McChooky]

I've only had 4 hens go broody. Of those 4, 3 have accepted chicks. I have never allowed any of my chickens to hatch. But I can see how hatching would make them more open to accepting chicks. That just makes sense.

I'm all for encouraging them to hatch their own first.Its less confusing.Teaching them to take care of baby chicks is fine but having them sit on dummy eggs teaches them to ignore the chicks. Broody hens talk to their chicks while they're still in the egg and developing and roll eggs out that don't respond. Chicks recognize their own broody momma by the sound of her voice once they hatch.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'm all for encouraging them to hatch their own first.Its less confusing.Teaching them to take care of baby chicks is fine but having them sit on dummy eggs teaches them to ignore the chicks. Broody hens talk to their chicks while they're still in the egg and developing and roll eggs out that don't respond. Chicks recognize their own broody momma by the sound of her voice once they hatch.

I had 2 immediately adopt chicks tonight. The last time I had a broody adopt, she stayed with them for almost 6 weeks. All the babies I've had broodies adopt recall still bonded with their mamas, even years later. Maybe it depends on the individual hen??? Idk. It works brilliantly for me with these 3 hens.

And no hatching for me on my farm. I have a small flock, and I can't have any more boys. So I get sexed chicks and have broodies raise them and I integrate them for me whenever possible.

 

[Dinoroar]

So, I tried again. It seemed to be working this time, because she was clucking and she let the chicks poke their heads out from under her. But as soon as one of the chicks completely came out from underneath her, she started pecking it again. I think she might just be too young, unfortunately.

Sorry you didn’t have luck getting her to take them.

 

[McChooky]

Thats wonderful news! Congratulations on your 2 broodys taking more chicks!