Incubated egg hatch .. Indoor brooder vs broody hen in cold spell

[dawnrae]

I just had 2 incubated (Cochin) eggs hatch. My broody silkie will definitely accept them - she’s a proven great mom of adopted chicks, but we have a cold week upcoming, highs in the 50s & lows in the 30s.



I have an indoor brooder set up as she wasn’t broody when the eggs arrived & we planned on raising them in it, but definitely would prefer them raised with a mom hen.



Looking for opinions on whether to take a chance with the hen & cold weather or just keep them in the brooder? Anyone have success with a broody accepting chicks a week or 2 old? I’m thinking of just waiting out the cold in the brooder, then putting them under the hen.



Thanks

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are dealing with a living animal, I have no idea what she will do. Some broody hens will adopt an older chick like that, some will not. Sometimes chicks will not imprint on a broody when they are older and will not accept her. It is not just the hen, it also involves the chicks. If you wait another week they will be a week older. The odds of them accepting each other drop further.

I don't know what method you use to give chicks to a hen. I put very young chicks under the hen at night and check on them the next morning right at daylight as they are waking up. That works pretty well but mine are very young chicks. You can try that and see what happens but there are risks of something bad happening at night or at daybreak.

You might try putting the chicks next to her or under her during the day and watch what happens. Sometimes that works out great, sometimes not, but at least you will be watching.

I understand your desire for a broody to raise them. To me that is worth some risk. But I cannot give you any guarantees as to what will actually happen.

Good luck!