We're getting more chicks! This is our second round. Our first was in May, and we hatched them here. But this round is coming from Ohio! My question is, I'm planning to give these chicks to our broody hen who has been broody for months. If she does not accept them, I'll see what our silkie does with them. If no one accepts them, we'll raise them in a brooder. That's a last resort, though. I don't want to have to introduce them into the flock. Has anyone had experience introducing chicks to a broody hen? Thanks!
Our Esther had been broody for months...and we had tried just about everyhting we could find to break ehr of it but she was determined to stay broody. We ordered some day old chicks from MPC, and the day they got there we put them in the brooder for the day to make sure everyone was eating and drinking and pooping and peeping. Once it got very dark outside, we went to the coop with the little ones in the box and opened up the nesting box where Esther had ensconsed herself. We added the little ones one at a time to her and watched for a bit to make sure whe wasnt going to kill them or harm them. She was a very mellow hen, so we kinda figured it would be ok, but we watched anyway. The chicks snuggled under her immediately, and she was a happy momma at last. We checked early in the am, and she was in chicken heaven with the 8 babies there with her. She took right to them, and her only flockmate, her sister Mercedes was thrilled with the babies as well and took to them immediately...they sort of share the caregiving lol They were terribly lonely I think! But its been almost 8 weeks and everyone has done wonderful, with the exception of the one chick I had to cull But Momma Esther took right to the babies. Not sure how yours would do, but our girl is an amazing hen. She does a great job being a mom!
