Chicks not accepting broody hen. Heartbroken chook :(

[bellz15]

Hi guys, hoping to have a fairly simple question answered but I'll provide the backstory anyway.
Skip to the end if you like.

My endlessly broody wyandotte has proven to be a good mum in the past, hatching out a few eggs.
She's broody all the time and I have real trouble breaking her, she loses weight from her commitment and it just makes me a bit sad to watch how hard she tries.

This time, I wanted to see if she would accept day olds. I moved her from her favourite nesting box to an isolated pen, and ensured that she sat for half a day and was comfy.

I bought 4 lavender Araucana chicks. The guy told me they were day olds but as they had some wing feathers coming through, I assumed they might be more like 2 days old. I thought "they are still totally fluffy apart from those tiny wing feathers, I'm sure they will be young enough". When I mentioned the hen/chicks not bonding if chicks were more than a few days old, the guy said there was no problem and it will often work with chicks that are WEEKS old. I was sceptical but honestly much more worried about my wyandotte not accepting them, not the other way around.

Anyway as you can probably guess by now, my wyandotte did everything right, pecking them gently, cooing and clucking to call them to her etc. They just don't get it. They all stand together and ignore her. It was really quite a sad sight. I tried twice in the isolated pen before giving up (didn't want them to get cold).

I moved them to the brooder box and let the hen free, she raced to her favourite nesting box and fluffed up like a turkey.

One last ditch effort, I have put them underneath her in her nesting box (not an ideal spot I know) and they seem to be happy to sit there snoozing for now. She is talking to them and they are all zonked out from a stressful morning. I will keep an eye on them today, I'm hoping to see them interested in following her around.
Wondering if anyone else has achieved a bond after this much time and some failed attempts, or if it's just not going to happen at this point.

So my question is; Is there any point to keep trying to get them to bond to my hen, should I leave them under her for now or is it just a lost cause?
They are probably 3+ days old now.

Photo is her looking at me like "well I tried, what now?"

 

[bellz15]

After sitting on the chicks for the most part of the day, sunset is almost here and I needed to move her out of the main coop and into the isolated pen, so everyone else could go to bed. (nervous about my isa brown x who is a known chick murderer).

I put the chicks in a box and nudged Goldie on top of them but again, she wanted to set up on the ground and they wouldn't come to her. I tipped them gently out of the box and after a painstaking 20 minutes, all four chicks are under her!!!!

First two pics are her in the coop, last one is her spot on the ground with all 4 chicks underneath.

Phew! I can finally relax.. Thank you all again for your encouragement.
I probably would have given up and raised them by hand, but I'm glad to have Goldie doing most of the work for me!!

 

[bellz15]

Did it all go ok over night? Are the chicks 'getting it'?

They are totally getting it! I just saw her showing them food and water and they were copying her.

I suppose I will be back in a few weeks to pester everyone about what gender they are

 

[bellz15]

Progress report !!

All 4 chicks are happy and healthy and I’m guessing almost 4 weeks old. It’s hilarious watching them all try and sit under Goldie, with fluffy butts and beaks sticking out everywhere because they’re so much bigger now they are also total escape artists and I can’t wait for them to grow just a bit more so I can put them in with the big girls.

In the past I’ve never had more than one of the same breed to compare to, which makes it SO difficult to tell their sex. This time I’m already confident on two of my chicks. The other two are a bit on the androgynous side.

I love this part of raising chicks. I think each time I do it and each new breed I watch develop, I get a bit better at guessing. Photos of the 2 ‘obvious’ chicks below

 

[Mrs. K]

I am so glad this worked for you. I myself, try to get the chicks a bit cold and peeping madly, then at dark, slip them under her. When they are cold, they catch on quick this is a good warm spot to be.

 

[Ponypoor]

After sitting on the chicks for the most part of the day, sunset is almost here and I needed to move her out of the main coop and into the isolated pen, so everyone else could go to bed. (nervous about my isa brown x who is a known chick murderer).

I put the chicks in a box and nudged Goldie on top of them but again, she wanted to set up on the ground and they wouldn't come to her. I tipped them gently out of the box and after a painstaking 20 minutes, all four chicks are under her!!!!

First two pics are her in the coop, last one is her spot on the ground with all 4 chicks underneath.

Phew! I can finally relax.. Thank you all again for your encouragement.
I probably would have given up and raised them by hand, but I'm glad to have Goldie doing most of the work for me!!

Did it all go ok over night? Are the chicks 'getting it'?

 

[MamaBsFunkyFlock]

Hi guys, hoping to have a fairly simple question answered but I'll provide the backstory anyway.
Skip to the end if you like.

My endlessly broody wyandotte has proven to be a good mum in the past, hatching out a few eggs.
She's broody all the time and I have real trouble breaking her, she loses weight from her commitment and it just makes me a bit sad to watch how hard she tries.

This time, I wanted to see if she would accept day olds. I moved her from her favourite nesting box to an isolated pen, and ensured that she sat for half a day and was comfy.

I bought 4 lavender Araucana chicks. The guy told me they were day olds but as they had some wing feathers coming through, I assumed they might be more like 2 days old. I thought "they are still totally fluffy apart from those tiny wing feathers, I'm sure they will be young enough". When I mentioned the hen/chicks not bonding if chicks were more than a few days old, the guy said there was no problem and it will often work with chicks that are WEEKS old. I was sceptical but honestly much more worried about my wyandotte not accepting them, not the other way around.

Anyway as you can probably guess by now, my wyandotte did everything right, pecking them gently, cooing and clucking to call them to her etc. They just don't get it. They all stand together and ignore her. It was really quite a sad sight. I tried twice in the isolated pen before giving up (didn't want them to get cold).

I moved them to the brooder box and let the hen free, she raced to her favourite nesting box and fluffed up like a turkey.

One last ditch effort, I have put them underneath her in her nesting box (not an ideal spot I know) and they seem to be happy to sit there snoozing for now. She is talking to them and they are all zonked out from a stressful morning. I will keep an eye on them today, I'm hoping to see them interested in following her around.
Wondering if anyone else has achieved a bond after this much time and some failed attempts, or if it's just not going to happen at this point.

So my question is; Is there any point to keep trying to get them to bond to my hen, should I leave them under her for now or is it just a lost cause?
They are probably 3+ days old now.

Photo is her looking at me like "well I tried, what now?"

I am about to try this with my broody silkie. Reading your experience and everyone’s advice is super helpful. Hopefully it goes well but I will try not to have any expectations. Best of luck to you!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Keep us posted! It will happen. I'm not sure they are quite a week old, but no matter. If she's willing, they'll fall in love with her soon enough. They just don't know it yet.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Such a sweet story. I'm rooting for the bonding. ❤❤❤

 

[Iluveggers]

Yay! One happy family!