Has anybody tried slipping chicks under a broody hen?

[scgamecock]

I've heard this will work but was wondering if anybody had any success at it.

 

[Yogiman]

I have had success doing this with my Buff Orpingtons. It doesn't always work for me with other breeds. Some of them are hard to fool. The chicks don't mind at all but the cranky old hen feels like she has to do it all on her on. No substitutes!

I have had best success by trying to time the hatch of her eggs and slipping some day old chicks under her at night. It has worked a number of times with the orps. But then they are so broody that they will sit on golf balls, walnuts, etc.

 

[SHELLY]

Why do you want to do this? Is it to make her get over being broody?

 

[scgamecock]

I have a Blue laced red wyandotte sitting on golf balls the last two days.

 

[theOEGBman]

Im going to try it later this Spring if I can get a NN to go broody. My parents dont want chicks in the house.

I've never tried it with chickens, but when I tried it with a duck, she was not fooled. Waterfowl are awake at night too, dang birds!

 

[Yogiman]

The intent for me in placing chicks under a broody hen is in hopes that she will accept them/adopt them as her own and brood them. After all, she is far more capable of brooding them than I am.

Also there is nothing more pleasing than to see a hen with her brood of chicks and her tending them. She teaches them everthing they need to know. Mother nature does a wonderful job.

 

[tiffanyh]

I just did it this morning!!! Under my buff orp! Works great everytime, I just check them alot the first day to make sure she isnt changing her mind.

 

[jkcove08]

Make sure your hen is broody by letting her sit for 5 to 7 days. If she stays on the golf balls that long and you have some chicks that are newly hatched then by all means slip a few under. It is best to wait until night so that she is not so suspicious of what you are doing. I always put the chicks close to her rear end area. Newly hatched chicks will head right under those warm ol feathers and hunker in. If she is a first time mama, you will want to keep an eye on her to make sure she is doing OK. Some hens are great hatchers but not mommas, others are rotten hatchers but great mommas and some can do it all. Let us know how it goes. Also another thing that is good to do is if you are using a bator and you have a hen go broody I will usually candle 5 to 10 eggs and put the good ones under her after about 4 days of being broody. This way you are sure that at least at the time you put the eggs under, they were fertile and growing. Good luck, Jenn

 

[SHELLY]

Ok let me see if I got this straight...

You have a broody hen. You switch her eggs out w/ chicks or eggs about to hatch so she can raise them. Is that right?

Why doesn't she hatch her own eggs?

 

[Wooden_Pony]

Quote:
Yes to both SHELLY.

Most of us do not have roo's so for some of us this is the only way we can let broodies be a mom.

LOVE your avatar picutre!!

edited because I spelt "Broodies" wrong