Giving chicks to broody vs raising them yourself?

[Miaoucat]

The hen might refuse them and kill them, a rabbit cage will get dirty sooner if a hen and chicks in it than chicks only, risk of coccidosis is higher as chicks are exposed to mother's droppings, the mother will do her best to take them for free ranging "you will let her out".

Thanks for the information! I'll leave them in the brooder. I can't let my hens free range because the foxes have been out and about. The chicks are on medicated feed but I also agree the hen wouldn't be happy in the rabbit cage for too long.

 

[TK421]

As of last week, I’ve done both. I’ll never raise my own again if I can get a hen to go broody. It’s sooo much easier This way! However, I’ve read on here that you need to slip them under mama in the first 3-4 days. So if you’re in the window and can give mama her own space, why not try? It just takes a watchful eye that first morning. My first time broody hen turned out to be a great mother.

 

[Miaoucat]

As of last week, I’ve done both. I’ll never raise my own again if I can get a hen to go broody. It’s sooo much easier This way! However, I’ve read on here that you need to slip them under mama in the first 3-4 days. So if you’re in the window and can give mama her own space, why not try? It just takes a watchful eye that first morning. My first time broody hen turned out to be a great mother.

Thanks for the input! I was thinking it would be really really easy if I had my broody raise the chicks, but the more I think about it I really don't want to risk anything happening to these babies. This broody is snippy with me esp since I've been taking her off the nest and trying to bar her from the nesting box, so me watching her would probably stress her out a lot. I also don't have a great place to put them where there's no risk of predators. I got wooded trails behind my yard so I get the wild foxes and occasional unleashed dog running through my backyard. Maybe some time in the future when I have better set-up I'll give my broody some chicks if she's still being stubborn. Do broodies stop being broody after they raise chicks? She gets like this every year but I just want her to lay me some eggs, sigh.

 

[Ruthster55]

In my experience, broodies are more likely to go broody when they perceive the place where they live as safe. Safe to hatch eggs... Safe to care for baby chicks...

Broodiness is a desirable trait at my place and increased greatly when the chicken yard was secured against predators, especially dogs.

Semi-wild broodies feel safe in numbers. When there are hundreds of chickens somewhere, somegirl is always broody!!

 

[Ruthster55]

P. S.

My practice is not to bother broodies unless their dedication to the eggs in their nest starts failing which is likely a product of selection against broody traits.

Commercial breeds have been selected to NOT be broody.

 

[Ruthster55]

Just about any broody hen will be snippy.

Just leave her alone and throw out a little feed.