How should I give 1-2 chicks to my broody?

[ChickenGirl555]

How should I give 1-2 chicks to my broody, if I possibly get them this weekend? She (Nugget) has been broody for weeks and I haven’t been able to break her, and I just realised I have room for 2 more chickens in her coop. So how do I give them to her with as little pain and stress as possible, and how young should they be?

 

[Frazzemrat1]

As young as possible, within a few days old... I wouldn't go older than 2 days, if it was me... and I've never done this before. I've read that you can sneak in at night, and slip them under her, and that she may accept them.

 

[Mrs. K]

This is what you do: Get fresh chicks, takes them down at dusk but do not put them in with her. They need to get a little chilled, so that they are peeping madly. The peeping helps get the broody ready to make the switch from setting to being an active mother. An hour or so after dark, slip down there with a flashlight, but with as little light as possible. Stick the cold chicks on her back, or directly under her. Wear a long sleeve sweatshirt in case she pecks at you.

Those cold chicks should burrow in tight as ticks. That movement under her also helps trigger the right hormones, the chicks should become mostly silent as they warm up, and she should start talking to them. She may peck at them, but ignore that. Keep it dark, and get them under her and then the hardest part... leave her alone till morning, and even then do not "help" her. She knows more about being a chicken than we do.

Good luck, I would add one more than you think you want. Sometimes chicks die.

Mrs K

 

[ChickenGirl555]

This is what you do: Get fresh chicks, takes them down at dusk but do not put them in with her. They need to get a little chilled, so that they are peeping madly. The peeping helps get the broody ready to make the switch from setting to being an active mother. An hour or so after dark, slip down there with a flashlight, but with as little light as possible. Stick the cold chicks on her back, or directly under her. Wear a long sleeve sweatshirt in case she pecks at you.

Those cold chicks should burrow in tight as ticks. That movement under her also helps trigger the right hormones, the chicks should become mostly silent as they warm up, and she should start talking to them. She may peck at them, but ignore that. Keep it dark, and get them under her and then the hardest part... leave her alone till morning, and even then do not "help" her. She knows more about being a chicken than we do.

Good luck, I would add one more than you think you want. Sometimes chicks die.

Mrs K

Thank you so much! I'm going to call my town's feed mill tomorrow and ask what breeds they have and their age. I won't buy anything older than 2 days, is this good? Also, my broody has never hurt me once. She's so sweet and since she's not aggressive I hadn't ever cared that she was broody, since we have 5 extra cartons of eggs anyways that we need to eat.