Giving chicks to a broody

[AlezaJ]

Hmmm, I figured it was just the sound of the chicks under her that caused her to stop getting off. Thanks

 

[jojorose8]

I decided to go with fertile eggs. It just seemed easier. Have any of you done that route? Any advice?

 

[MaryZoe]

Hello Jojorose,

I have done a combination of all of the above--I have slipped newly incubated chicks under a hen that I allowed to sit the full 21 days on wooden eggs, I have allowed my hens to hatch their own (and their sisters') fertilized eggs, and I have bought newly hatched chicks and slipped them under my broody hens. I have had success with all the methods. In addition, I have slipped newly incubated chicks and store bought chicks under hens who have 2-7 day chicks they incubated on their own. I have yet to lose a chick. I always slip the chicks under the hens at night, then observe in the morning when they start moving around.

At this very moment I have hens who have a combination of all three: their own brooded chicks, chicks from the feed store (you can be pretty sure you'll get hens), and chicks that I incubated and put under them at night in my chicken yard. The mama hens know no difference. They tend them all equally. I have almost 40 chickens, good-sized coops with plenty of space for all, and a decent sized chicken yard.

Recently two of my hens shared the same nesting box that had a divider that mostly separated them. They went broody at the same time. When the chicks hatched, they were small enough to freely move from one nesting box to the next. Now the two mama hens and all the chicks are an inseparable family. They are always together. Neither the mama hens nor the chicks seem to know who belongs to whom. It is lovely.

I wish you the same happy chicken families.

BTW, I also allow my hens to brood for the full 21 days before putting any chicks under them, assuming that they are programmed to sit for a certain time. I want it all to feel as natural as possible.

Best of luck!

MaryZoe

 

[jojorose8]

MaryZoe- Thank you so much for the information. It’s so wonderful to hear lovely success stories. I can’t wait to see my sweet hen with her babies. Fingers crossed everything goes well!

 

[Tiana's chickens]

I've swapped fertile eggs and chicks under broody hens successfully. I ALWAYS do it at night time.
For swapping eggs, I got a friend to pick the broody hen up at night while I swapped the eggs over, then just put her back down on them, she fell back to sleep and didn't notice anything different in the morning, went on to have a successful hatch.
For chicks, I bought six 2 day old chicks, slipped one under her at night and waited... nothing happened, came back 30 minutes, the chick was quiet and asleep under her, she didn't seem to notice it. I slipped another one under hen every half an hour at night and kept checking up. Went out first thing in the morning and she had completely accepted all

 

[jojorose8]

Have you let the hen raise the chicks in the coop with the flock? I’m thinking that’s the route I’d like to take. I was considering putting up some chicken wire to separate the flock from broody and her chicks for a week or so to let them get used to the babies and keep the babies safe.

 

[bobbi-j]

Have you let the hen raise the chicks in the coop with the flock? I’m thinking that’s the route I’d like to take. I was considering putting up some chicken wire to separate the flock from broody and her chicks for a week or so to let them get used to the babies and keep the babies safe.

This is how I have done it the past couple of years and have had no problem. I think it makes for much easier integration into the flock. The first year I tried this, the hen was killed by a raccoon, leaving four 5-week old orphans. Because they had been integrated early, they were already accepted members of the flock.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

I let my hen incubate eggs away from everyone else, so that she didn't steal any infertile eggs from the rest of the hens, once she hatched chicks, I gave them about 2 weeks, and then introduced them to the other hens. The mother hen protects the young

 

[MaryZoe]

I used to separate my broody hens until I got too many broody hens at once (five at a time last year). So now I just let them do their thing, and all works out great. The moms (even the small ones, like Silkies) can protect their bitties without a problem. They are feisty and the chicks know their mom's call from quite far away. It's quite sweet, actually. So if you have the time and energy, surely separating them cannot hurt. But if you're busy, let the moms do it on their own. They're quite capable!

 

[jojorose8]

Do I switch my whole flock to starter? Will that hurts my other hens?