How to Foster new babies with Broody.. HELP?!?

[new2thischick]

My daughters 2nd grade had eggs hatch on Mothers Day. We put the babies in the coop under a wire mesh cover. Well apparently this kick started the hormones in 2 of my ladies (Thing 2 & Mini). So I asked the neighbor for some fertilized eggs.. she gave me 12. I thought perfect! Well Thing 2 broke 2 of her eggs and Mini kept getting off and sitting on the unfertilized eggs. I would remove all the unfert eggs and put her back. I was positive they would hatch.. Well we were down to eight fert eggs.. then 6.. then 3.. Cause my WONDERFUL dog decided to eat the eggs just days before hatching.. So 2 days later we have 2 new babies.. YAY!!

Anyhow my babies hatched June 1st.. AND I just received 2 more babies that hatched on the 1st as well. How can I get the mommas to take these 2 new babies?

Our Mother Day hatchlings are mingling with the other hens just fine.. and the mommas are doing great at protecting the new babies.. BUT now I have two little orphans.. Can I graft them with the 2 mommas and the 2 other babies?

 

[new2thischick]

So I have a black sex link that has decided to become broody the last couple days.. Can I graft the chicks under her?? Or do they need to sit for the full 21 days first. Any help would be GREAT! Thanks In Advance!

 

[ceeceeholt]

We just did this ourselves. She hatched 3 then left the nest, so we put the eggs under another broody to hatch out. 5 more hatched, one died, not sure why, but we put them under her in the night and the next day she was great, like they were there all the time. Hope it works with yours as well. The other broody had only been sitting about a week and thene hatched the others, we took her off the nest and she just started back laying yesterday, only took a week!

 

[AZ_HenHouse]

It all depends on the hen. Since it has several days she might not take them. It is easiest to add day olds to a hen right after she hatches before she gets of the nest with them.

If you do try to add them to your hen, I would watch them closely to make sure that she takes them.

Good luck

 

[donrae]

It all depends on the hen. Since it has several days she might not take them. It is easiest to add day olds to a hen right after she hatches before she gets of the nest with them.

If you do try to add them to your hen, I would watch them closely to make sure that she takes them.

Good luck

This.
At 2 days after hatch one of my hens would peck horribly at the other hen's chicks, and they hatched the same day. Like chase it around and corner it mean, not just a thump to get out of the way. I'd think by now she knows who her babies are, but some mothering instincts are strong. Try it and just stay right there. I think you'd know pretty quick if she won't take it.

I wouldn't try putting them under the newly broody. They usually need, if not the full 21 days, pretty close to take babies. Otherwise they just see them as a threat to the clutch they're wanting to brood.

 

[new2thischick]

tried it 7 both mommas immediately got upset.. So I will just put them under cover & let them all get used to one another.. hopefully in a couple/few weeks we will be fine..