Can I give a poorly broody mama day-old chicks after 3 weeks?

[mtma]

I have two broody hens, one is switching nest boxes every day, so I'm giving her couple of eggs to the more attentive mama. Question though - she is still very much wanting to hatch eggs (even though they are different eggs every day), so I'm going to take @NatJ good advice to give her a clutch of fake eggs. Before we knew we would get broody hens, we ordered several day old chicks, and they are due to arrive at DAY 21 of the mama's setting!!!! I am wondering if I could give that wanna-be mama day-old chicks since I'm giving her eggs to the "more responsible" mom (since she keeps moving boxes)? What do you think? Thanks in advance! We will also have a brooder going because I have a batch incubating that are several days ahead. Chicken math, y'all.

 

[sourland]

Most hens who have been broody that long will readily foster chicks. I'd slip them under her at night so she has the evening to bond with them. Check on things early in the morning to assure that all is okay. Good luck.

 

[SoFlockingHappy]

Did you try this? If so how did it go? I tried it once and found 4 almost dead chicks the next morning. I had a brooder already going and placed them in there. They perked back to life, thank the Lord! But I still have a consistent broody hen that seems to be low on the pecking order that gets bullied off of her nest and will hop eggs at all time of the day. The only way I can prevent started "bad" eggs is for me to go out 3-4x a day and make sure she is still on her eggs or to gather all of them to keep her uninterested. I honestly don't have a ton of space for not-so-dedicated broody hens, but appreciate their work when it does work out. That being said, I have a few hens so dedicated that they hatch out right in our egg boxes if I let them.

 

[mtma]

Did you try this? If so how did it go? I tried it once and found 4 almost dead chicks the next morning. I had a brooder already going and placed them in there. They perked back to life, thank the Lord! But I still have a consistent broody hen that seems to be low on the pecking order that gets bullied off of her nest and will hop eggs at all time of the day. The only way I can prevent started "bad" eggs is for me to go out 3-4x a day and make sure she is still on her eggs or to gather all of them to keep her uninterested. I honestly don't have a ton of space for not-so-dedicated broody hens, but appreciate their work when it does work out. That being said, I have a few hens so dedicated that they hatch out right in our egg boxes if I let them.

We have not tried it. We ended up with several more broodies. So we have decided to keep the natural born chicks in the coop separate from the incubabies in the brooder.

 

[Jbran64]

This is how I always raise chicks. Around day 20 I go to the feed store and get baby chicks. I slip them under and if hers hatch too then great! At least I know I have some pullets and not all roosters.