Introducing Chicks to a flock?

[ophelia3178]

When my girls slow down on their laying we plan on getting more chickens/ we are depending on a broody hen that will hatch our next batch lol. What if none of them become broody?? My buff orpington built a very perfect nest and sat on it for a while, the other girls tend to it and sit on it as well...It doesn't get broodier than that... they're all laying now, in that nice little nest. What would happen if i slipped 6 chicks under the orpington one night?? would she kill them when the sun comes up?? What if i placed fertile eggs in the nest, would someone sit on them? my coop is heated so they wouldn't freeze if the chickens weren't on them all day every day right? I just need a plan on how to get my new generations in. I bet theres a way, right? PS none of my girls are mean to each other... they were raised together though. if i introduced the young pullets to them would it be world war 3??

 

[LRH97]

When a hen is broody, she will not get off the nest. As in she won't get up for days (aside from a couple of times to eat, drink, poop etc.), so she'll pretty much be locked down on her nest. Make sure your hen is broody before you slip chicks/eggs under her. Putting chicks under a non broody hen will not be....pleasant. A good way to do this is to place fake eggs (or something that looks somewhat like an egg) in the nest box, and allow the hen to set on them for a couple of days to see if she's really devoted before you spend money on chicks or fertile eggs. You can't force a hen to go broody, but you can encourage them by, as I said before, placing the fake eggs in their nests (I usually put 6-8 in a nest box or two). My BOs have not required much encouragement to get them to want to go broody and have been good mommas as well. Also note that when a hen goes broody, she also stops laying. Keep in mind, if you don't get a broody hen at the time you want newbies, you can always purchase older birds (which I do a lot, actually) and introduce them to your flock, or you could raise chicks in a brooder. The choice is yours. Hope I helped!

 

[ophelia3178]

Thanks! so I can raise chicks in a brooder and introduce them to the flock? worst case.

 

[LRH97]

Thanks! so I can raise chicks in a brooder and introduce them to the flock? worst case.

Yes you can. Just wait until the chicks are an appropriate age to do so. I usually introduce mine when they are at least a little over half the size of the older birds in the flock. (I'd say somewhere around two months, maybe a little more.)