DumbQuestion:Will a cochin take to brooding chicks incubator hatched?

[Lark Rise]

Last week, I hatched some chicks. They are in a brooder now.

I have heard that cochins are very broody. I was wondering how you get a hen to take to chicks that are not their own. My cochin has not even started laying, so I'm not suggesting to give the chicks to her. She's 23 weeks old, very gentle and friendly. I'm just curious how it's done, if ever I want to try it in the future.

Thanks.

 

[djennings]

I took some of my silkies I incubated and put them under my broody silkie, she hatched 2 of her own, put the other 6 with her, she is a good little mommy. When you do this, normally it is done after dark.

 

[Pele]

Not a dumb question at all! A very responsible thing to ask.

It depends on the mamma bird, to be honest. Has yours brooded successfully before? Is she currently broody now?

It's very common for people to slip day old chicks under a hen brooding on either unfertile or fake eggs. You wait until she's sleeping on them at night and slip the chicks in while taking the eggs out. She wakes up in the morning and "goodness me, I hatched eggs! Oh I'm such a wonderful mommy". She'll never know the difference.

The only time you have to be super careful is with an unproven broody, or one that already has chicks. If she has babies already, and more magically show up, she might not be so easy to trick, and reject the new ones.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, if you have a hen who has sat on eggs for 2-3 weeks, you can slip hatchlings under and she will think they are hers. However, do remember, not all hens make good broodies, not all good broodies will make good moms.