Dumb question here.....

litmisredneck

In the Brooder
7 Years
Oct 4, 2012
89
4
33
Pierson Fl
I am still new to all of this, but i was wondering from some of the stories i have read about hens adopting day old chicks or older chicks. I want to get some chicks but i dont have a brooder. I was wondering if any of my 3 hens might adopt a few chicks if i put them in there with the hens. Is this common or not. Just wondering if it might work if i did it. Thanks for any info.
 
First one of your hens has to go broody. Then she might adopt day old/couple-day-old chicks after siting on eggs for a week or two. Sometimes she will not adopt them though and you have to have a backup brooder or your sentencing those chicks to death.
 
A brooder can be as simple as big plastic tub and a heat lamp.
You'll need to chick proof your waterer and have a low to the ground chick feeder whether you raise chicks in a brooder or by broody hen.
 
Thanks for the info. We do have a big plastic tub, but no heat lamp yet. I am looking into get a lamp. Might have to go that route till they get broody on me. I have a buff Orpington that just might be a good mama. My 2 blue laced red wyandotte seem to care less about being mom's lol.
 
Just to let you know, most hens will not adopt chicks older than a couple days so don't plan on brooding chicks yourself until a hen goes broody and try to transfer them to her, it probably won't work.
 
I am still new to all of this, but i was wondering from some of the stories i have read about hens adopting day old chicks or older chicks. I want to get some chicks but i dont have a brooder. I was wondering if any of my 3 hens might adopt a few chicks if i put them in there with the hens. Is this common or not. Just wondering if it might work if i did it. Thanks for any info.

my Silkies hen will adopt any chick and try and kill you if you get anywhere near "her" chicks. This has happened numerouse times and she has tried to steal chicks :D
 
my Silkies hen will adopt any chick and try and kill you if you get anywhere near "her" chicks. This has happened numerouse times and she has tried to steal chicks
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Yeah I am pretty happy about that. A lot of people ask questions like this so its not a dumb one at all. I accually had this question when I first got into chickens.
 
We had chickens all my life, but my dad and mom took care of them. I just chased them around and got yelled at for chasing them
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. I have had my babies for about 6-8 months now, so i am learning. Wished I had listened to my parents more growing up, when they "tried" to teach me about chickens.
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