Introducing chicks to a broody hen when one of the chicks is 2 weeks older

[anniemarie01]

Hey ya'll! I finally decided to order more chicks: 2 salmon faverolle, and one of each, a dark brahma, appenzeller spitzhauben, gold laced wyandotte, and silkie bantam. However, the silkie bantam would be getting in on the 3rd of May, whereas the rest of the chicks would get here the 19th. I was hoping to have my broody hen raise the chicks, but now I don't know if she would accept the older chick. Should I introduce the silkie to her first and then try to introduce the rest of them on the 19th? Or should I just introduce them all when the silkie is 2 weeks and the chicks are a day old? I'm prepared to raise them inside if she rejects them, but I hope to get her to raise them. I also have another broody hen that could possibly raise 1 chick while the other hen raises the other 5 later, but she's not as broody as my first choice. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Hens generally have a limited period that they'll accept chicks, so if it takes the Silkie, it will not accept more chicks later on. And it's unlikely that a 2 week old would graft onto a hen. Could you possibly add one more Silkie? Either way it's going to be lonely since it's unlikely to be raised with the other chicks.

 

[NatJ]

Either way it's going to be lonely since it's unlikely to be raised with the other chicks.

I would think one chick is fine if it's raised with a hen, but I agree it would be quite lonely if it's raised all by itself.

I also have another broody hen that could possibly raise 1 chick while the other hen raises the other 5 later, but she's not as broody as my first choice. Any advice is appreciated!

That would probably be best, if you can manage it.

the silkie bantam would be getting in on the 3rd of May, whereas the rest of the chicks would get here the 19th. I was hoping to have my broody hen raise the chicks

When a hen goes broody, she's not usually ready for chicks until she's been sitting for about 3 weeks. So whether this works will depend on whether your hens go broody at the right time.

I'm prepared to raise them inside if she rejects them, but I hope to get her to raise them.

That sounds like a good plan

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hey ya'll! I finally decided to order more chicks: 2 salmon faverolle, and one of each, a dark brahma, appenzeller spitzhauben, gold laced wyandotte, and silkie bantam. However, the silkie bantam would be getting in on the 3rd of May, whereas the rest of the chicks would get here the 19th. I was hoping to have my broody hen raise the chicks, but now I don't know if she would accept the older chick. Should I introduce the silkie to her first and then try to introduce the rest of them on the 19th? Or should I just introduce them all when the silkie is 2 weeks and the chicks are a day old? I'm prepared to raise them inside if she rejects them, but I hope to get her to raise them. I also have another broody hen that could possibly raise 1 chick while the other hen raises the other 5 later, but she's not as broody as my first choice. Any advice is appreciated!

I doubt she would accept the second batch two weeks later. They would be considered intruders.

 

[anniemarie01]

Hens generally have a limited period that they'll accept chicks, so if it takes the Silkie, it will not accept more chicks later on. And it's unlikely that a 2 week old would graft onto a hen. Could you possibly add one more Silkie? Either way it's going to be lonely since it's unlikely to be raised with the other chicks.

If I introduced her to one of the broody hens and gave the other chicks to the other broody hen 2 weeks later (or raised them inside if she won't accept them), would the single chick raised by a hen be lonely? Should the hen have more than one chick to raise? If the hen doesn't accept her I can either get another chick or return her to my farm store until the rest of the chicks come in.

 

[NatJ]

would the single chick raised by a hen be lonely? Should the hen have more than one chick to raise?

One chick with a hen should be fine.

 

[Ridgerunner]

One chick with a hen should be fine.

Nat, think about the time after she weans that lone chick and the chick gets old enough to join the adult flock. While the single chick is with the broody hen it should be fine. The time I'd be concerned about is after the chick is weaned and on its own until it matures enough to join the flock. At that time I'd much rather have two or more rather than just one.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

If I introduced her to one of the broody hens and gave the other chicks to the other broody hen 2 weeks later (or raised them inside if she won't accept them), would the single chick raised by a hen be lonely? Should the hen have more than one chick to raise? If the hen doesn't accept her I can either get another chick or return her to my farm store until the rest of the chicks come in.

I think one chick with a broody should be OK, it’s better to have two, but you can’t be switching the chicks amongst the hens because they will not go for that! I don’t think your farm store will allow you to return a chick once it has been exposed to your chickens. If they do that’s not the place to buy chicks.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Nat, think about the time after she weans that lone chick and the chick gets old enough to join the adult flock. While the single chick is with the broody hen it should be fine. The time I'd be concerned about is after the chick is weaned and on its own until it matures enough to join the flock. At that time I'd much rather have two or more rather than just one.

Yes, I agree, that’s when it will become a problem for that lone chick. It will be the very lowest in the pecking order and probably only 6 to 8 weeks old when the broody doesn’t wanna take care of it anymore.

 

[NatJ]

Nat, think about the time after she weans that lone chick and the chick gets old enough to join the adult flock. While the single chick is with the broody hen it should be fine. The time I'd be concerned about is after the chick is weaned and on its own until it matures enough to join the flock. At that time I'd much rather have two or more rather than just one.

But OP intends to have more chicks, two weeks younger.

They will be raised by a different hen, but at some point both hens will have weaned their chicks, and then they can all hang out together.