I let a broody hen hatch one of her eggs..

[hungryhensfarm]

That's one of the sweetest things I have ever seen.

 

[dancingbear]

Hens are pretty darn good at raising chicks. They have been doing it a long time! When we incubate and raise chicks, we're trying to simulate with technology, what a hen does naturally.

 

[birdlover]

That is just the sweetest thing in the world. Just a thought: Do you have any other newly hatched chicks? If so, you might want to slip one under the mom at night so the baby will have a friend. The reason I say this is, at some point, mom is going to give the chick the boot (around 6 - 8 weeks or so) and, if there are two, the little guy will have someone to hang with after the inevitable happens.

 

[Mahonri]

Wonderful

 

[SangaChicken]

Quote:
I do, actually.. I have chicks hatching as we speak, and a few the same age as him. Which would be better? Also, is there any fear of the mom rejecting the new ones?

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
That's a very good point! They can even be a few days apart, I just added one lone chick (to a hen's two, so now she has three) recently that was a singleton from a 'bator hatch. I've had lone chicks before, they're very sad to watch. They need at least one sibling.

That baby is just one of the cutest I've seen. Silkies are known for being good moms.

 

[birdlover]

Sorry for the tardy response. I've never had a problem putting chicks under a hen after they go to bed for the night. They wake up in the morning and think they've hatched more babies. Go for it and let us know how it goes. Added pics would be nice as well.