Day or Night- Putting Chicks Under Broody Hen

[Micmac1234]

I had another post talking about how I had shipped fertile eggs underneath my broody and all 8 failed. Ultimately we decided the best bet here was to get day old chicks and make the swap. Now here’s my question…

Everyone was saying to make the switch at night BUT I am worried that I can’t keep an eye on her first thing in the morning with the chicks once she wakes up. She leave the nest once a day around 1:30 to dust bathe and free range and poop and returns after about 10-15 minutes. Is it too risky to make the switch at that point? I just like that idea because then I’m around to watch.

Thoughts????

 

[sourland]

Generally it works best to put the chicks under her in the evening. That way she hears and 'talks' to them so that they can bond. It may necessitate an early wake up on your part to monitor the situation. Experienced mothers rarely have problems accepting chicks.

 

[K0k0shka]

I don't like doing it after dark for that reason - I want to be there and watch when she's awake. So I do it in the late afternoon, close to their bedtime but not quite (so after work, which works for me too!) I put them under her and sit there and wait, and watch, for a while. I wouldn't swap the eggs for chicks while she's away from the nest. She may not make the connection when she comes back and sees some strange chicks in her nest. In the normal course of things, she would stop leaving the nest and go into lockdown herself. So the chicks would hatch under her, not while she's gone. She needs to feel the chicks move under her and hear them chirping under her, to reinforce the instinct and the imprinting. If she just finds them there when she comes back, she may think they are somebody else's and reject them. If you do it close to bedtime, you'll have some time to observe and for her to look at them and adjust them as necessary, and then it will be dark soon so both the hen and the chicks will be sleeping and staying put anyway, bonding overnight. If you have reason to believe she may not be trustworthy, it would be good to get up very early in the morning and check on her as she wakes up.

 

[Micmac1234]

Generally it works best to put the chicks under her in the evening. That way she hears and 'talks' to them so that they can bond. It may necessitate an early wake up on your part to monitor the situation. Experienced mothers rarely have problems accepting chicks.

Well these will be her first babies… I think they wake up around 4:15 am lol

 

[Micmac1234]

We’re also battling rats so we’re getting two barnyard cats and putting the hen and chicks in a rat proof brooder every night.

 

[K0k0shka]

We’re also battling rats so we’re getting two barnyard cats and putting the hen and chicks in a rat proof brooder every night.

Be careful with the cats during the day, if the hen and chicks are in that rat proof brooder only at night. Cats eat chicks, too.

 

[Micmac1234]

Be careful with the cats during the day, if the hen and chicks are in that rat proof brooder only at night. Cats eat chicks, too.

I read about that! We’re getting the cats next week but I’ll make sure the cats can’t get into the coop

 

[Anime2lover]

Generally it works best to put the chicks under her in the evening. That way she hears and 'talks' to them so that they can bond. It may necessitate an early wake up on your part to monitor the situation. Experienced mothers rarely have problems accepting chicks.

I agree with you. When we put chicks under a broody momma we do it around that time as well. Usually works quite well.

I had another post talking about how I had shipped fertile eggs underneath my broody and all 8 failed. Ultimately we decided the best bet here was to get day old chicks and make the swap. Now here’s my question…

Everyone was saying to make the switch at night BUT I am worried that I can’t keep an eye on her first thing in the morning with the chicks once she wakes up. She leave the nest once a day around 1:30 to dust bathe and free range and poop and returns after about 10-15 minutes. Is it too risky to make the switch at that point? I just like that idea because then I’m around to watch.

Thoughts????

 

[Micmac1234]

I agree with you. When we put chicks under a broody momma we do it around that time as well. Usually works quite well.

Ok so I’m getting the chicks tomorrow morning, I’ll keep them in a brooder with the heat lamp and then move them into the coop once the chickens have gone to bed? Take the eggs and leave the chicks

 

[K0k0shka]

Ok so I’m getting the chicks tomorrow morning, I’ll keep them in a brooder with the heat lamp and then move them into the coop once the chickens have gone to bed? Take the eggs and leave the chicks

To help the process even more, keep them somewhere without heat for a while before you give them to her. Turn the lamp off, or after you put them in whatever you'll transport them to her - box, crate, etc. - leave them in it for a while until they start getting a little chilly, so they have more incentive to stay under her once they feel her warmth. Chicks that are accustomed to a heat lamp don't necessarily know to go under something for heat, so they'll be confused at first and may try to come out, and she'll peck them to make them go back under (which is risky... if they resist more, she'll peck more, and the initial motherly concern may quickly turn dangerous). But if they are cold, and feel the warmth, they'll be more motivated to stay under her.