Broody Questions.

[LoneCowboy]

I have some Broody questions. This is my first broody, so I have no experience.

She's hatched 2 chicks now and she seems to be a very good mom, however she still has 2 more eggs under her and they have not hatched, and I don't think they will. How long do I let her sit on them? Do I take them away? Can I slip some other chicks under her and have her care for them? I have her in an extra large dog kennel. How long can I keep her in there with the chicks? Is she just going to stay on the ground with her chicks under her wings until they are old enough to perch?

Can somebody just give me the steps she's going to go through in raising them so I can make sure she has the right amount of space? When can I let her go back into the big coop?

I know, lots of questions, but I'm clueless here.

 

[beakkeeper]

I am by no means an expert, but yes, you should be able to slip new chicks, eggs under her. Do it when she's asleep, taking away one of the quitters for every new chick/egg you put in.

 

[cmom]

Have you candled the eggs?

 

[Chirpy]

I can tell you my experience with my broody. I had five eggs under her. One hatched on day 21. The other four didn't hatch. After getting advice from people here I removed the last four eggs on day 24. I checked them all, they were bad. I really had no idea they could smell that awful... I did literally start to toss my cookies.

Anyway, I've heard of people slipping new chicks under their broodies at night and the broody taking them and raising them like her own. I've also heard people say that their broody attacked the new chicks. So, I'd suggest you keep a very close eye on the broody and any new chicks you slip under her and be ready to get them out if there are problems.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Yeah, I candled the eggs and one was a dud and the other stopped growing late in the process. I took them away from her.

I read in my book that you should put chicks in with a hen at 1 day old so they will imprint on the hen and visa versa. Well, I just couldn't figure out how to house a broody and her 2 chicks and 6 other chicks seperate, so I decided to take a chance and I took one chick out to her.

The chick went right under the hen and the hen was just pleased as punch. So I took the other 5 out and I put them in front of her and the ones that didn't go under her right away got a little nudge from Mom to get under and get warm. I'm crossing my fingers

that all will go well. I need this to work so I can make the whole coop thing work.

Now I just have a million other things to work out. This is the first broody I've ever had so it's all new to me.