could i give day old chicks to broody?

[busylizzie]

I have been hatching 9 mixed breed hens....they are hatching today....6 have been under my young hen (6 months old) and she has hatched all 6 chickies

......the other 3 eggs are in the incy.....1 hatched so far......

ANYWAY......another one of my 6 month olds has gone broody today

.......WWYD.....give her some new eggs (i have no roo) from somewhere or try and give her the incy chickies?

Thoughts please!

thanks

 

[ams3651]

I have read that you can give a broody hen day old chicks but you do need to give her at least maybe 2 weeks on the nest. Give her some plastic eggs to sit on till then. Its never a guarantee that she will take to them though.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

If a hen has been siting a long time without any hatching you can swap her eggs for chicks at night. You can also stick in more chicks just after a hen has hatched her own. Any other time is questionable.

 

[ams3651]

this website helped me a lot with my first time broody

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

it mentions how to slip her the chicks

 

[catfish/okie]

When I was little I had a Hen sitting and one day a bull snake got in the pen and ate all but 2 of the eggs we killed the snake. When we noticed 1 of the eggs was pipping we took a short drive (dad and I) to a hatchery and he had some day old NHs so we bought a few ( I think 10 this was almost 40 years ago) and took em home. Dad said grab the hen and take her to the other side of the house. He put thechicks in the nest and then I put her in the nest and she was one happy mother hen. I think we were all lucky.I said bought those chicks but Dad told me the other day when I went to visit. The guy traded them chicks to us for some Golden Campine eggs.

 

[Judy]

I've read that you're supposed to let the broody set for about two weeks before trying this, but then you have to brood them for 2 weeks, and she might be unlikely to accept them at that size. I'd probably brood them for about 24 or 48 hours then try introducing.

 

[busylizzie]

thanks for your - help
DH has decided he wants to raise the 3 incy chicks (all hatched!) now
and get some silkie/frizzles for new broody to hatch! yay!