Introducing chicks to mother hen 9 days apart?

[blinkk]

Hi fellow chicken lovers,

One of our hens went broody. At the 21 day mark, we bought two chicks from the store and stuck them under her at night. She woke up and voila - instant motherhood.

Two days ago a baby chicken got eaten in the night. This morning we caught the offender, a big ol possum.

The mother hen is left with only one chick now. She's had this chick for nine days. If we go to the store and buy another baby chick and stick the new chick under her at night, will she accept the new baby chick? Or can this only be done during that window at the end of her broody cycle?

 

[blinkk]

bump...just wondering if this can be done. I figure the more days I wait, the less chance of the new chick graphing to the mother.

 

[donrae]

My experience is you have about 48 hours from when the first chick hatches or is introduced. You're way beyond that now. You can always try it and hover over her to see how it goes, but I'd be fully prepared to brood those chicks cause she probably isn't going to take them.

 

[blinkk]

Ah, I thought as much. Thank you. Guess we'll just wait until this round of chicks is grown to hatch another round.