Getting a hen to adopt?

[christa7032]

So I have 3 hens who have all been very broody for a few weeks now and a friend just brought over 5 new chicks! (I didn't want that many). I am due to have a baby of my own any minute now and I would prefer it if my hens could raise the chicks rather than me trying to do it. My mom who has had chickens all her life suggested I sneak the chicks in under the hens tonight while they are sleeping and take any eggs that are not developing that they are sitting on (I don't think any are fertilized but am not positive). If I do this will they adopt the little ones? I don't want to try it and have the babies get hurt or killed. Any other suggestions or experience with this situation?

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
It should work just fine. I stuck 4 ee chicks under my broody Orpington last night and this morning she's acting just like she hatched them herself. Like your mom said, do it at night. I'd also suggest making sure that they're in a nest box that the chicks will be able to get in and out of--you don't want the chicks to get seperated from their new momma.

 

[babypeeps]

My Dad said he used to do the same thing with chicks

 

[christa7032]

Thanks for the info. My other question is, my nesting box that she is in is about 3 ft off the ground. There is a ramp on the side that goes up to the box but it is pretty steep for 2 day old chicks. So should I move her to the floor when I put the new chicks in? Also, there are 3 girls who are broody. Should I split the chicks up among the 3? (5 chicks) My mom thinks they will try to steal the babies from each other either way.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
I'd move them to a lower nest box and then give the chicks to which ever one settles into the new spot without fussing. I was originaly going to give the ee chicks to my broody ee hen, but she wigged out when I moved her to a lower spot so I gave them to the orp instead.

I would give the chicks to one hen, probably the most dominent one if she takes the nest box switch well and put the other hens in a broody buster. It doesn't make sense to me to lose out on the eggs that a non-broody produces just so she can raise 1-2 chicks. A single hen can easily care for 5 chicks so there's really no reason to split them up.

 

[christa7032]

Thanks. Sorry I am kinda new to this. Whats a broody buster?

 

[Kittymomma]

Nothing to apologize for, we all start that way.

Basically a broody buster is a wire bottom cage that is at least big enough for the hen to stand up in and move around a little. You put food and water in there with her, but NOTHING that she can use for a nest. The cool air underneath her seems to speed up the process of breaking her from being broody.

Here's a link that talks more about it and I think there is some discussion on other methods as well. This is the most reliable way though and the least labor intensive, which I'm thinking is probably important to you right about now.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=181289

 

[biddyboo]

We have an "adoption" in progress right now. We have a backyard flock of nineteen hens, fifteen are assorted standards, but five are silkies. Two of the silkies are persistently broody, one especially. They "run" with the standard hens now, very compatibly after a winter of sharing nextdoor pens in our barn. Back to the adoption...this morning while running errands at Orscheln, I checked out the chicks for sale and found a brooder full of Araucana pullets. I left, went home and checked out our flock again, went back and found only five of the pullets left. Soon I was headed home with five little cheepers beside me in the truck. I knew we could set the babies up with a brooder lamp, but DH encouraged me to try the most persistent broody Silkie to see if she would accept the chicks. I tucked them in around her, one ducked under, she looked a little confused, but immediately settled down and awhile ago I could see no babies. Her wings are fluffed out a little so I think she is now mothering them. Tomorrow should tell the tale and I'll see if the chicks can adapt to their new pen surroundings, feed, water, and so on. It's a new adventure for us at the Quiet Pond Chicken Rescue Ranch, and we're pretty excited. More baby tales tomorrow...will appreciate all good thoughts for our new "mama" and her cheeps. ~G

 

[Kittymomma]

How did it work out?

 

[christa7032]

Well I guess my girls arent actually ready to be mommies because none of them accepted the poor little chicks. One attacked a chick, one threatened to, and the last one, my little cochin who has been broody for weeks I actually thought would take them in but she didn't. I put a chick under her (the chick was thrilled!) last night and she actually sat there for several minutes then started talking quietly. But then she jumped up and looked at the chick and ran a few feet away and watched the chick. She began to peep for the hen to come back, then the hen jumped up to the nesting boxes above her and settled down into one of them. Oh well, I guess I will just have to raise them like usual and worry about mixing them later.

On a separate note, the eggs they have been sitting on have been under them for 28 days, so they are probably not going to hatch, right? I thought I read somewhere that they hatch in 21 days. Should I give them a little more time or can I take them away and start trying to get them to stop being broody? Thanks for all the help everyone.