Hermaphrodite chicken?

[BantamLover21]

Baby chicks cannot simply be popped into the coop in middle of the night. They have to be raised in a brooder until they are fully feathered and then it's best to wait to integrate them when they are the same size as the older birds, about 10 weeks old or so. Chickens don't accept newcomers very well and they can be brutal, even to the point of killing new birds, especially young ones. Now if one of your birds goes broody, and Buff Orp's are notorious for it, you could try slipping some day old chicks under her after she's set on the eggs for a while.

x2

 

[rachpatterson]

I have 2 leghorn hens that are the same age but are developing differently too. Some just develop slower than others. Bernadette my smallest has the biggest comb and wattles and Penny who is taller and wider has a tiny comb and no wattles.

Penny

Bernadette

 

[chickloveschick]

Sorry, I should have clarified that in the particular You tube post, the chickens were broody and in the middle of the night, the farmer had slipped the few days old chicks near/under her. In the two posts that I watched, this method worked. The chicks were not even of the same breed as the adoptive mother hens. I will watch closely to see if they are accepted. If not, I will keep them separated. I was just intrigued by this method of introducing new chicks to broody hens. Thank you for the feedback. I posted "Chicken Tower." What do you think of the picture of my hens roosting on top of each other. I would like to get your feedback on this behavior. Thanks again, Mary Anne.

 

[chickloveschick]

A picture is worth a 1000 words! I see what you mean. My girls are like your girls. It is a learning curve. I love eating fresh eggs.
Thanks, Mary Anne