California - Northern

[HighStreetCoop]

that place is way expensive for me, i was thinking $5 a chick not 7-20, and my feed store has 1 week old chicks, should i go with thoes, or wait a week. in one week the feed store may be getting more chicks in, but i plan on giving to a broody hen who has been broody 3 times this year and has been on eggs for 20 days, what should i do?

I just did this a few months ago. The younger the chicks the better. I got mine the day the arrived, so they were 1-2 days old. I kept the chicks warm with a heating pad (the kind you use when shipping) then after dark I went out and exchanged them for the eggs as quietly as I could. It went perfectly. All you can do is hope for the best and be prepared to deal with them if she doesn't accept them.

 

[caychris]

I just did this a few months ago. The younger the chicks the better. I got mine the day the arrived, so they were 1-2 days old. I kept the chicks warm with a heating pad (the kind you use when shipping) then after dark I went out and exchanged them for the eggs as quietly as I could. It went perfectly. All you can do is hope for the best and be prepared to deal with them if she doesn't accept them.

I grafted on 3 chicks to my broody who had been sitting for 4 weeks (1 week trying to break her and 3 weeks on what ended up being dud fertile eggs) Younger the chick the better. The hen will treat them as if newly hatched and not expect them to be up and around for at least a day and even 3 day old chicks are going to be mobile and independent lots which might give he mothering instincts some grief. It was funny to watch my first time broody accept those chicks (done after dark) and tuck them in while I removed the eggs. She held on to them for about 6 weeks then returned to the flock they still hang with her but she doesnt watch over them or call them to food anymore. My boy (Pita Pinta Cockerel about 30 weeks old) though does watch out for them which is really nice. I cant say enough good things about Pita Pintas. (Boys and Girls both)

 

[tj74roberts]

I grafted on 3 chicks to my broody who had been sitting for 4 weeks (1 week trying to break her and 3 weeks on what ended up being dud fertile eggs) Younger the chick the better. The hen will treat them as if newly hatched and not expect them to be up and around for at least a day and even 3 day old chicks are going to be mobile and independent lots which might give he mothering instincts some grief. It was funny to watch my first time broody accept those chicks (done after dark) and tuck them in while I removed the eggs. She held on to them for about 6 weeks then returned to the flock they still hang with her but she doesnt watch over them or call them to food anymore. My boy (Pita Pinta Cockerel about 30 weeks old) though does watch out for them which is really nice. I cant say enough good things about Pita Pintas. (Boys and Girls both)

next spring I would love to purchase a PP pullet if you happen to have one available. I won;t be breeding her, I just want her for her sweetness.

 

[chickee]

Just look at the beard on this girl!
She's only 5 months old.

Thanks to @chickee for lovely wheaten/blue wheaten araucanas

She is turning out super nice! The Ameraucanas are still my favorites.

 

[MakelaNJoe]

i may do that but, i know she may acsept the week old chicks, but if they don't come in than i have a problem, she wont adopt 2 week old chicks, and my local chicken store won't have them for a month.

not sure where you are located but i get my chickens from local breeders to avoid shipping and long trips! you could try something like craigslist in the farm and garden section, or maybe facebook?

 

[guppy guy]

i have been on cregslist, i am in el dorado county

 

[guppy guy]

pics of my new coop and my old one












by broody hen a black astralorp

some of my flock

 

[h2oratt]

I grafted on 3 chicks to my broody who had been sitting for 4 weeks (1 week trying to break her and 3 weeks on what ended up being dud fertile eggs) Younger the chick the better. The hen will treat them as if newly hatched and not expect them to be up and around for at least a day and even 3 day old chicks are going to be mobile and independent lots which might give he mothering instincts some grief. It was funny to watch my first time broody accept those chicks (done after dark) and tuck them in while I removed the eggs. She held on to them for about 6 weeks then returned to the flock they still hang with her but she doesnt watch over them or call them to food anymore. My boy (Pita Pinta Cockerel about 30 weeks old) though does watch out for them which is really nice. I cant say enough good things about Pita Pintas. (Boys and Girls both)

Hi Chris,
about the pita pintas, do they fly? are they racy? I need the big fat hens that would never think about flying.

Julie Rust

 

[PetRock]

Hi Chris,
about the pita pintas, do they fly? are they racy? I need the big fat hens that would never think about flying.

Julie Rust

I'm not Chris but mine are not flighty. They are not big bodied birds like Brahma and Langshan but don't seem to like to fly. I've hatched over 200 of them and raised most of them in my backyard before taking them to the farm or re-homing them. The runs attached to our breeding pens are 6 ft high and part of them are not covered. The Pita Pinta have not flown out of the pens although they are good at finding gaps at the bottom. They seem to like to tunnel more than fly.

 

[Honora]

I'm not Chris but mine are not flighty. They are not big bodied birds like Brahma and Langshan but don't seem to like to fly. I've hatched over 200 of them and raised most of them in my backyard before taking them to the farm or re-homing them. The runs attached to our breeding pens are 6 ft high and part of them are not covered. The Pita Pinta have not flown out of the pens although they are good at finding gaps at the bottom. They seem to like to tunnel more than fly.

Yeah, mine are diggers! Haven't had to clip anybody's wings.