Broody hens stealing chicks

[Little Fuzzy]

I have a Silkie and a Blue Wyandotte that are a tag team broodies. Sometimes one goes broody then the other will also. Right now my silkie has been sitting on fake eggs for about two weeks. I would like to slips 3 chicks under her at night, but I'm worried that the Wyandotte will try to steal some chicks, and they will fight. Wyandotte not broody at the moment, but I have been expecting her to go that way. I didn't want to put fertilized eggs under her because all of my hens are vaccinated and any chicks that hatch would not be vaccinated. Any suggestions?

 

[cavemanrich]

With your chicken vaccinated only means that they will not catch what ever they are vaccinated against. You fertile eggs do not come predetermined to hatch diseased. The chicks will grow and are only vulnerable to catch whatever comes naturally. Any reason you would not want to vaccinate your young chicks??? And what are your current chickens vaccinated against?

 

[Little Fuzzy]

With your chicken vaccinated only means that they will not catch what ever they are vaccinated against. You fertile eggs do not come predetermined to hatch diseased. The chicks will grow and are only vulnerable to catch whatever comes naturally. Any reason you would not want to vaccinate your young chicks??? And what are your current chickens vaccinated against?

My hens were vac. for Mereks by the Hatchery. I got them as chicks. I thought I read that vac. birds could transfer the vac disease to un vac. chicks. It's not that I wouldn't want my new chicks that hatch to be vaccinated, its' just that I was told it had to be done on DAY ONE after hatching. I'm not sure I could take them somewhere in time for that.

 

[cavemanrich]

Well, I started reading some more on the Mareks disease and found this quite reliable information that may be comforting to you. It is a link to a thread here on BYC.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/39918/mareks-vaccine
The first post I am refereeing to have information by qualified Vets.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

I stopped vaccinating my flock for mareks some time ago. I have about 2 deaths a year from it out of the 200 or so chicks I hatch and raise here each year.

You can buy vaccine if you like. It is expensive and has to be thrown away because it doesn't keep, but what's $40 if it's really important to you?

I wouldn't worry about her stealing chicks. The chicks will pick a mama! And even if she does, many feathers make light warming, eh?