Can you use a broody as a foster mom?

[possumhunter]

I gave my sister some fertile eggs for one of her broody hens and 4 of them hatched...

Well, she never planned on keeping them and is going to give them back to me. My question is, I now have 3 broody silkies and I am wondering if I could stick the babies under one of the hens instead of setting up the brooder? The chicks are almost 1 week old and are also silkies.

Thanks!

 

[paddock36]

Yes you can. Just make sure that you take away any eggs she was setting on. I just did the same thing with one of my hens.

 

[oesdog]

Hens will sit on anything! - I had one who sat on a potato and another who sat on baby mice and thought they were chicks because she is silly. My neighbors hen sat on and hatched Duck eggs. Great but when the kids put a chicken egg under the duck it didn;t have a good outcome.- All the Ducklings followed mummy Duck into the pond -unfortunately so did the baby chicken - now it knows its not a duck!

Good luck it should work fine but do it in the evening and take some eggs away so she thinks she hatched them.

Oesdog -