Broody hen!

[Bryam]

I have silkie hen who has been siting on eggs for 3 solid weeks. Nothing has hatched, not surprising since she doesn't live with a roaster! Now I have some silkie chicks that I just hatched in an incubator, can I sneak the chicks under her? Will she accept then or kill them? Are the chicks better off being raised by a mommy? Has anybody ever done this? I feel like she really wants to be a mom! She is living in a separate cage.

Thanks for the advise!!!

 

[Judy]

People do it all the time; I've done it myself a few times. Just slip them under her after dark and give her overnight to get used to the feel and idea of them. Things can go wrong with anthing chicken, but I'd say it works most of the time.

 

[Bryam]

If she accepts them, do I need to provide them with a heat lamp? I can keep them the floor covered with shavings? Right now the chicks are in a brooder, do it is a very controlled environment.

 

[Bryam]

Her is the new mommy with one of her chicks! A paint!!
Do I need to put a light? She has accepted all the chicks! She is talking to them! So cool!!

 

[Bryam]

 

[The Hard Way]

Great picture! If she's acting like that I wouldn't use a light. I just let one of mine hatch some for the first time and I have been really surprised how little time they spend under her. Only really at night or when the wind picks up like during a thunderstorm.

 

[The Hard Way]

 

[Bryam]

They have been sitting under her all morning! I am wondering when is she going to get up and teach them to eat?

 

[The Hard Way]

So cool! I had to wait 5 days for her to bring them out, and I started to get nervous. One hatched, three days later 2 hatched, then two days after that I come home and they are all out in the coop with her plus one that was barely dry, all clumbsy and stumbling around. The innate knowledge in these creatures is always amazing. She knew she had one more coming, but at the same time knew that first one needed a drink and some food ASAP.

 

[Judy]

A broody needs no outside heat; her body keeps the chicks warm. She will take them out to learn to eat and drink; I'd just let her do it on her own schedule. Remember they have about 3 days of food to feed off at hatch, stored inside. They do a great job; I agree, their innate knowledge is pretty amazing to watch.

The only thing you need to do for a broody and chicks is remove the layer feed with its extra calcium. Let the flock eat chick feed, grower, flock raiser -- whatever --- for those several weeks. You can leave some oyster shell out for laying hens if you want; the chicks should ignore it. Well, that and maybe add a few bricks so the chicks can jump up to the food and water. Mama will pull the food down to wherever they are, too.