Giving broody hen chicks

[Farmlife16]

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?

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.

 

[Doorsopenat5]

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.

Did the broody hen take to the chicks the first time, but then just didn’t protect them? Or did she not take to them? Will they be upset if you get rid of her “babies” after they’ve done their job raising them a bit?

 

[Doorsopenat5]

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.

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!

Once the mama hen goes back with the babies, have you found that she has a new sense of empowerment lol, like will she possibly stick up for herself reentering the flock w the newbies?

 

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

Did the broody hen take to the chicks the first time, but then just didn’t protect them? Or did she not take to them? Will they be upset if you get rid of her “babies” after they’ve done their job raising them a bit?

Yeah. She didnt peck at it. It just got out from under her (like they do) and the other hens started pecking it. She fidnt protect it. They may be a little depressed but I'm going to do it to my mama. Btw, Plum, the hen whose chick got killed now has 2 babies that she has been a good momma to so far. More are hatching. But she is alone. So she can do her normal thing without worrying about her chicks getting killed.

 

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

Once the mama hen goes back with the babies, have you found that she has a new sense of empowerment lol, like will she possibly stick up for herself reentering the flock w the newbies?

Im really not sure. I have researched a lot but I'm not letting her enter the flock with her babies. They will stay with her until they are sold.

 

[Doorsopenat5]

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.

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.

None of my other hens are broody at the moment, my only other one that goes broody is my silkie and she’s been over it for about a month now. Do you find that other broody hens are more prone to peck at the chicks?

 

[Aunt Angus]

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.

 

[Aunt Angus]

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

Oh, I hope so!