Broody sisters advice

[buterflysbeauty]

Hello, I have a pair of broody silkie sisters. They are currently in a large box together with their silkie rooster. I ordered 6 chicks to pick up in 2 days to have them adopt. Question is should I try to seperate the hens before giving them the chicks so they don't go after each other's chicks or just hope that they co-raise them? Maybe put in little boxes for each hen? If I take both hens the rooster will be by himself. Thoughts, ideas, advice?

 

[Abriana]

When the chicks arrive, wait until nighttime and slip each chick one by one under the hens. I think you should give co-raising a try. I have heard a story of several hens all raising a bunch of little chicks together. If it doesn't work out, put them in two separate runs and give each one the chicks she seems to prefer. It will probably be fine to leave them together though, if they start out together early.

 

[buterflysbeauty]

Ok thank you. The woman I got them from said they co-raised a clutch in rhe spring. I'm just nervous because another hen killed 2 of her chicks she hatched a couple weeks ago.

 

[chicks are life]

Give the babies to only one hen then...the nicer one.
Do it when you can watch them for a hour or so to make sure everything goes well.

So is the roo in with the 2 hens or with other as well

 

[buterflysbeauty]

The roo (Ooga) is only with the 2 broody hens.......he's a little sexually frustrated! Here's pictures of my "chicken cube" .

 

[chicks are life]

Nice cube.

I would separate the roo or move the broody once babies hatch

 

[Leighe]

Hello, I have a pair of broody silkie sisters. They are currently in a large box together with their silkie rooster. I ordered 6 chicks to pick up in 2 days to have them adopt. Question is should I try to seperate the hens before giving them the chicks so they don't go after each other's chicks or just hope that they co-raise them? Maybe put in little boxes for each hen? If I take both hens the rooster will be by himself. Thoughts, ideas, advice?

Are you getting chicks or eggs?

 

[chicks are life]

Chick is what I believe...

 

[chicks are life]

Give the babies to only one hen then...the nicer one.
Do it when you can watch them for a hour or so to make sure everything goes well.

So is the roo in with the 2 hens or with other as well

Just wanted to repost this

 

[Leighe]

Silkies are different, I think. My friend has been raising them for 10 years and man are they great moms but she kept letting two of them share a coop to hatch eggs and I don't care who she put together there was always one who was going psycho. Stealing eggs, fighting when chicks were born and chicks being killed in the fights, if one hen hatched eggs first the other one would try to steal some chicks....cracra. I just couldn't understand why she wouldn't give them their own crate/coop or whatever to brood in.