Instant Broody Hen!

[rosawoodsii]

I've been rather discouraged that I didn't have a broody hen, so I bought a few chicks of broody breeds, and started raising them at home. At two weeks they were flying out of their box, and I decided to move them to the barn. As I was telling my 87 y.o. mother my plans, she suggested I find a "not very bright" hen (are there any bright ones??) and put her on the floor in the hay after dark, and then just put the chicks under her. Well, says I, it's worth a shot, so I did it, and, do you know, that hen is happy as a clam at high tide!

The next morning, I looked in on them in their separate coop, and she was clucking to them. Okay, that's nice, but what about later? I looked in after dark, shone my flashlight around and couldn't see the chicks. I looked some more, and there was the hen on the floor, her wings fluffed out, and one little head peeped up and disappeared again. Next day, same thing. If I'd known it was this easy, I'd have gotten more chicks!

Now all I have to do is figure out when to let them outside with the rest of the chickens--and that includes 2 roosters.

 

[I'vegotchickenfever]

WOW - that's amazing! Your mother needs to join BYC. Imagine the wealth of information...
Thanks to both you and your mom - sounds like an experiment is waiting in the wings....

 

[rosawoodsii]

She told me that her mother used to do it all the time, and that she's seen it work again and again. I'd never seen her use it before, but maybe she just never remembered until now. At any rate, it was brilliant!

You can be sure that I'll remember it again.

Will the two very-full-of-themselves cockerels bother her and the chicks, or will she go after them protecting her brood? I'm not quite sure about the dynamics of hens with broods and roosters.

 

[Schultz]

Great story! My broody goes after anything that comes near her chicks, the others back off!! That's been my experience.

 

[Mesa]

I may have to try this. I wonder how young the chicks need to be?