Broody with no babies, what to do with her?

[Cyprus]

For future reference it is strongly encouraged to
1) Separate a broody
2) Mark her eggs and remove extra eggs daily and remark eggs as needed before the mark gets rubbed off
3) Candle eggs before tossing them

Always, always follow #3. Unfortunately, this kind of occurrence is common.

 

[MizzClucker]

Ok, thanks for all the great advice. I feel like I really screwed this one up. I should have done my research when she started brooding. But we learned some valuable lessons of what not to do.

Now my second problem, how many should I get? I was just thinking two but maybe more in case one doesn’t make it?

 

[Cyprus]

Ok, thanks for all the great advice. I feel like I really screwed this one up. I should have done my research when she started brooding. But we learned some valuable lessons of what not to do.

Now my second problem, how many should I get? I was just thinking two but maybe more in case one doesn’t make it?

4. Mortality rates with broodies are higher than when being brooded in a brooder.

 

[Morrigan]

2 or 3 is plenty. If you want more, that's fine too.

Personally, I've never lost a chick in the care of broody before. I trust them more than my own brooder set up, to be honest.

 

[CannedMonster]

If for some reason she doesn’t accept them you’ll need to have a brooder ready.
My neighbor has done this with her broody successfully several times.
She does it at night and tries to be as quiet as possible.
Like others have said, tuck the chicks under her.
It’s good that the chicks you found are newly hatched because you want them as young as possible!
Even if she accepts them you still want to observe as the days go by to be sure she’s a good mother especially with her being so young.
Just curious...what breed is she?

 

[MizzClucker]

4. Mortality rates with broodies are higher than when being brooded in a brooder.

Oh man, I’m already nervous about this. Please no more dead chicks. My poor son is already devastated.

 

[Cyprus]

Oh man, I’m already nervous about this. Please no more dead chicks. My poor son is already devastated.

I am sure everything will be okay.

 

[MizzClucker]

If for some reason she doesn’t accept them you’ll need to have a brooder ready.
My neighbor has done this with her broody successfully several times.
She does it at night and tries to be as quiet as possible.
Like others have said, tuck the chicks under her.
It’s good that the chicks you found are newly hatched because you want them as young as possible!
Even if she accepts them you still want to observe as the days go by to be sure she’s a good mother especially with her being so young.
Just curious...what breed is she?

I will take some pictures tomorrow. She’s a silver laced Wyandotte. Although I’m fairly certain that her and the 4 other silvers I got are not purebred. One hen has a substantial amount of white and a flopped over comb and one rooster has turned a tan colour wherever he was white.

 

[Cyprus]

I will take some pictures tomorrow. She’s a silver laced Wyandotte. Although I’m fairly certain that her and the 4 other silvers I got are not purebred. One hen has a substantial amount of white and a flopped over comb and one rooster has turned a tan colour wherever he was white.

The tan could be sun damage. A floppy comb usually = single comb which is not a wyandotte trait.

 

[Morrigan]

Oh man, I’m already nervous about this. Please no more dead chicks. My poor son is already devastated.

I've introduced chicks to broody hens many, many times. Only once has it not worked out, and that hen was a real pill. Try not to worry -- odds are it will be fine -- but have a plan to brood them yourself if she won't accept them.