Give her chicks?

[featheredplanets]

I posted about my (supposedly) broody pullet a few months ago, she acted broody but soon unbrooded herself. Well she’s doing the same again but better? this time. She fluff right up when I get the eggs out and walks round clucking. She has a little fake egg she’s sitting on but she’s still laying, so I know she’s not fully broody. I was wondering if I should just buy her some chicks? I got her some cheap eggs last time and could do the same again so there’s no loss if she breaks. I’ll be waiting until Saturday to make the decision. Eggs will just be thrown out if she breaks, as my incubator is broken. Chicks can always go in the brooder. What do you think? If she lasts until Saturday (and stops laying), eggs or chicks?

 

[ValerieJ]

You wouldn't want to give her chicks unless she has been broody for a couple weeks. You can try eggs, but with her getting up intermittently I'm not so sure she is a dedicated brooder yet. Are you wanting her to brood some chicks for you? Or were you just thinking about her and what she wants? I ask because I would approach those two scenarios differently.

 

[sourland]

What @ValerieJ said. Greatest success at fostering is when hens have been setting a minimum of 2 weeks - 3 is even better.

 

[ValerieJ]

Okay, thank you!

I mean eggs not chicks. I don't think she'll take in chicks until she is at the point her own chicks would be hatching. She might count days so well, so that's why I said two weeks. They would normally hatch in 3 weeks. This is my experience with introducing chicks to a broody, anyway. Be prepared to watch closely and if she starts pecking at them, then you will have to be mom and put them in a brooder. Eggs...she'll either sit or she won't. So much easier.

 

[aart]

I don’t really need chicks but I thought it’d be nice for her to hatch some if she wants to.

Do you have room for more birds?
....and a plan to deal with the ~50% males that will hatch?
If so, wait until you're sure she's broody and give her fertile eggs or wait a couple weeks or so to graft day old chicks.

 

[aart]

I think it will be very sad for both the mama hen and the babies to take them away at 4 weeks old. Any chance you can wait until she is ready to wean them?

Taking them before she wens them could throw her right back into being broody,
so might be good to wait, or keep at least 2 of the chicks.

 

[aart]

Yes, wait until you have nesting material.

When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

 

[john_wrightson2003]

I posted about my (supposedly) broody pullet a few months ago, she acted broody but soon unbrooded herself. Well she’s doing the same again but better? this time. She fluff right up when I get the eggs out and walks round clucking. She has a little fake egg she’s sitting on but she’s still laying, so I know she’s not fully broody. I was wondering if I should just buy her some chicks? I got her some cheap eggs last time and could do the same again so there’s no loss if she breaks. I’ll be waiting until Saturday to make the decision. Eggs will just be thrown out if she breaks, as my incubator is broken. Chicks can always go in the brooder. What do you think? If she lasts until Saturday (and stops laying), eggs or chicks?

If she stops laying, then i would give her eggs. If she keeps laying, i would try chicks, because if she does leave them, they can always just go into the brooder.

 

[ValerieJ]

I don’t really need chicks but I thought it’d be nice for her to hatch some if she wants to.

In that case, any way you try it is fine. If it works it works, and if it doesn't it's no loss to you.

 

[featheredplanets]

Do you have room for more birds?
....and a plan to deal with the ~50% males that will hatch?
If so, wait until you're sure she's broody and give her fertile eggs or wait a couple weeks or so to graft day old chicks.

Plenty of room but I won’t be keeping the chicks. I’d want to be selling them from 4 weeks old. I have some friends that will take pullets or cockerels. If she sticks till Saturday I’m going to be buying her a couple of non expensive eggs.