Chick adoption

[centrarchid]

@centrarchid How do you do it? My broody had 4 chicks and I wanted her to accept some day old hatchery chicks, but she rejected them so I ended taking them all away. I noticed the stre-bought hatchery Australorps aren't as quick or smart as the other chicks. The Australorps just stand around a lot. Two days later, without any chicks, she is interested in the rejected chicks. I am tempted to see if she would take them in. Has anyone done something crazy like this?

Approach I like the best with older chicks it to confine them near the broody hen so she can hear them from close range without causing them harm. Heat lamp. food and water provided for chicks. If chicks more than a day old, then it takes about 2 days for them to be interested in hen. Hen requires about same amount time. They learn each others voices. Then introduce chicks immediately before everyone goes to sleep for the night. Check when lights come on to make certain hen and chicks bonded, if not then do as before for another day and repeat.

Do not attempt with hen with very old chicks or that has not been brooding eggs for at least 18 days. Outside that range makes for very iffy results.

Somewhere I detailed process much better on this site.

 

[lizo97]

@centrarchid I had taken her four 2-week old hatched chicks away from her and placed them in the brooder with my four 1-week old store-bought chicks. I did this 2 days ago. I noticed for the past 2 days she (chick-less) had been looking for them and today, as an experiment I took at the rejected chicks and brought them out to her. She clucked to them and came over, interested, but ultimately walked away because these hatchery chicks weren't interested in her. What would you do? Give her back her hatched chicks and place the younger chicks in a separate cage next to her? When she did have her chicks, she was all over our yard free-ranging. I wouldn't be able to keep all the chicks together unless I confined broody mama.

 

[centrarchid]

Did you keep her close the the combined groups of chicks during those 2 days? I would try introducing all the chicks to her in the evening making sure she is roosting on a surface rather than up. Then check early in the morning when they wake up to make certain all goes well. Some of the final bonding has the hen and chicks briefly becoming separated and then coming back together as a response to each others calls.

My introductions typically followed by hens running about free-range with chicks where they can get separated a bit for the final bonding steps.

 

[lizo97]

When I had them all together she was fine with the new chicks for a day. Then next day she was pecking them aggressively. I will see what her reaction is again with them today under supervision.