how long does a broody need to be broody before i can give her some babys

[beanutputter]

I Have 12 baby chicks from eggs one broody hen sat on. She abandoned the last 5 eggs after the first 7 hatched. We brought the 5 inside and figured out 2 where no gos but the last 3 we were able to hatch in our brooder. I tried to sneak the first of the three to hatch to the mom but she pecked both eyes bloody the next day. I have been able to nurse the baby back to good shape and they are now 3 days old. I had another hen go broody about 4-5 days ago. Is it to soon to slip them under her. All hens and chicks are in the main coop with 14 hens no rooster but the broody with the 7 babies is behind a partition and I would do the same for the new mom. The new broody has been sitting on golf balls so far. If the new mom hasn't been sitting long enough to be tricked I am going to attempt to add the 3 to the original 7 in a couple days.

 

[azygous]

I'm afraid it isn't that it's too soon, it's too late. The chicks are too old to try to graft them to the newest broody who probably would be receptive to it for another couple weeks at least.

The trouble is, broody hormones are finely tuned to the stage where the broody currently finds herself. Broodies normally aren't ready for live chicks until close to end of their broody cycle at three weeks. Then to make it work, you need to have chicks that are very new, around two days old ideally. By the time your newest broody would be receptive, these chicks would be a couple weeks old, much too old for grafting.

Your first broody knows very well how many chicks she hatched. Trying to fool her with the three chicks you hatched may not go as you expect. In fact, she's already demonstrated how she feels about them. You'd best brood them yourself.

 

[beanutputter]

thanks for the input. I think I will try one more time tomorrow night. The 3 babys look like the rest and I hope they will blend in.

 

[azygous]

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.