Giving broody hen chicks

[Doorsopenat5]

Hi! I have baby chicks coming next week and happen to have a broody hen who I’m actually getting a little worried about- it’s been about a month, and not breaking.
A) should I try to give her the babies
B) should they go in main coop or separate
C) if separate, will the other girls pick on her when she returns (she’s bottom of pecking order).

Thanks!

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

I had a hen who was at the bottom of the pecking order hatch a chick and she did not protect it. The chick was killed by 2 other broody hens. She was broody for a few months. I'm letting her try again. This time I seperated her. So far she has 2 healthy chicks. However, I am not letting her go back to the flock with her chicks. We are selling them because they were accidents. I was not going to let her hatch. I will say, after she was broody for 2 - 3 months the first time, I had to reintegrate her even though she was in the nesting boxes. I will probably have to reintegrate again after I sell the chicks.

 

[Farmlife16]

I'm a broody newbie and just successfully gave my broody baby chicks. She was broody for only 10 days and accepted them. I slipped them under her when it was dark and then checked her early the next morning. I would give it a shot, but if you decide not to then I would break your hen.
As far as keeping them separate, I'm not sure since she's at the bottom of the pecking order. I left mine in with the other hens and they coexist well. Usually the mama hen will protect babies. I've also heard of some people keeping the mama hen separate for a week or two, and then putting them back in with the rest of the flock. You would of course need to reintegrate them if you keep mama/babies totally separate from the rest of the flock. If you have a big enough coop you can put a wire dog kennel in the main coop (you'd have to attach smaller wire to it) and keep mama/babies in there and then let them out once the chicks are older. That way the hen stays in contact with other flock members.

That was a lot of info, but I hope it helps!!

 

[Doorsopenat5]

I'm a broody newbie and just successfully gave my broody baby chicks. She was broody for only 10 days and accepted them. I slipped them under her when it was dark and then checked her early the next morning. I would give it a shot, but if you decide not to then I would break your hen.
As far as keeping them separate, I'm not sure since she's at the bottom of the pecking order. I left mine in with the other hens and they coexist well. Usually the mama hen will protect babies. I've also heard of some people keeping the mama hen separate for a week or two, and then putting them back in with the rest of the flock. You would of course need to reintegrate them if you keep mama/babies totally separate from the rest of the flock. If you have a big enough coop you can put a wire dog kennel in the main coop (you'd have to attach smaller wire to it) and keep mama/babies in there and then let them out once the chicks are older. That way the hen stays in contact with other flock members.

That was a lot of info, but I hope it helps!!

Thank you! Yes it was! - a follow up question- do the babies do okay in the coop if up a ladder or should I set up a nesting box area for them in the run, if I keep them together with the other girls?

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

They do not need to be above ground level otherwise the chicks wont be able to get back to their nest. My suggestion is to set up a wire dog crate either in your coop or next to your coop depending on how big your coop is. That way your hen is on ground level with her chicks, and she and the chicks can see the flock. Right now I have a hen separated in a prefab coop next to the real coop. I put a tarp around the inside and made a coop for her because the main flock is using the prefabs actual coop and it is above ground. Ill get a picture when I get home. Move her at night. Good luck!

 

[Doorsopenat5]

Do you mean an actual ladder ,as in cracks where chicks can fall through, or a ramp?

I have a ramp and after the first two days the chicks were able to get down. They weren't able to get back up, so I just lifted them up at night (I didn't have room to make an enclosure on the run floor). The chicks are now 2 weeks old and are able to get up by themselves.

If you have a ladder, I'd make an enclosure on the run floor until they're big enough to get up themselves. I'm guessing that would be a month to two months old. It all depends, ladders can be tricky.

Yes a ramp! Even my big girls don’t like to use it and kind of just jump to the middle then bottom haha

 

[Farmlife16]

Yes a ramp! Even my big girls don’t like to use it and kind of just jump to the middle then bottom haha

That could work then, providing that you're willing to help them up until they are big enough.

 

[Yardmom]

Putting chicks near other broody hens is very different than putting them into the flock. Generally hens ignore chicks while the mother scuffles with her flock mates. Many broody hens will not allow other chicks near them. It may be an instinct to make sure their chicks do not have to compete for food. I just had a low ranking hen hatch 3 chicks and successfully raise them in the flock. I do provide plenty of spaces where she can hide away from the others. I also have food where the chicks can get to that adults cannot.

 

[Doorsopenat5]

I have done this several times successfully. It's my favorite thing!

I find that separating the broody beforehand helps. She may get aggressive towards interference once she has those babies. I actually section off a part of the run and use either a crate or the duck house (the ducks don't sleep in it anymore, preferring to stay in the coop with the chickens).

If you move her before you give her chicks, it eliminates potential problems with other chickens.

Other advice:

• Put the babies under her late at night in darkness.
• Be prepared to sit in the coop for a while and listen. Babies peeping and mama clucking = good. Silence = not good.
• Be prepared to take the babies out if mama pecks them HARD. She may peck a lil to get them tucked under her, but you'll know the difference.
• You can try a few nights in succession if it doesn't work on the first night.
• Have s brooder handy as you may end up raising them yourself.

Thank you so much! Let’s see if she’s still broody by next week when they arrive!

 

[Chicks on DL]

I have a black star that goes broody. The first time it was hard to break her. The next year she went broody we decided to give her chicks. We use green plastic chicken fence to create a temporary fence to separate her and her nesting box from the rest of the flock. We slipped them in in the middle of the night and listened. I went out first light to check on them and let them in their own little run area. She was the happiest clucking momma you would ever see. Also, to our surprise, she was very protective. The fencing has big enough holes that the chicks could run out and then back in for safety. The flock could easily see them. Because momma was so protective, when they were bigger we were able to let them in the yard and the sleep with the flock under momma's close watch. Integration was not a problem. Two years later (this year) she went broody and she is raising two more for us. The flock is pretty well integrated already with this second batch because the really mean girl passed when the chicks were a couple weeks old. I love the experience of watching a good momma with her chicks.