introducing new chicks to a broody mom?

[ki4got]

I've got an oegb hen that is being an awesome momma to her brood. only 2 actually hatched under her and i gave her the rest over a couple hours. now they're currently 4 days old and i've got more chicks hatching.

any chance she'd adopt these ones too?

if so, how? i've got 1 guinea and 2 bantam cochins hatched out, and a few more cochins due over the next day or so.

should also mention she's in a brooder box inside, so is easy to get to and used to people being around and hearing other chicks.

 

[sourland]

In my experience MOST hens bond firmly with and recognize their chicks during the first 24 hours and are reluctant to accept strangers after that period. There are even less chances that she will accept others if they are different in any way - species, color, etc. You can give it a try, but monitor the situation

 

[ki4got]

well she's already got a mix of breeds, including lf barred rock, bantam cochin and 3 bantam mutts.

sorry, i misread what you'd said i was thinking different breed from the momma, not the other chicks. but the 2 cochins might fit in, since there's already a couple there.

 

[diggergal]

I am raising my first batch of chickies from a hen in my flock that went broody. I started out with 9 fertilized eggs from a friend who had a flock of mixed breeds. Six out of nine eggs hatched. I was at a feed store the same weekend the chickies hatched and picked up 3 more baby chicks. I was hesitant about adding the babies since my broody was a first time mommy. When I put them in her box she immediately pulled them under her. So I kept buying a few at a time and adding for nearly a week (I was out of control, everytime I went to a TSC or Farm King they had baby chicks). I stopped adding chicks when the hatched chicks were 6 days old. I figured the age difference would be too great. My broody was very accepting to the new chicks. I am not sure all broody's would be so accepting. I had noticed she would tuck the younger chicks under her first. Some broody's have great natural instincts. Just keep a watchful eye when adding the chicks.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

i got four chicks from Backwoods Express on Sunday night. Broody started hatching on Monday, I added the four on Tuesday evening, she didn't bat an eye, she finished on Thursday morn and left the nest, found a weak chick, gave him back to mom that evening, all are doing great.
I wear longsleeves and let her bite me with the right hand and slip the chick in from behind with the left! I don,t know what breed she is, black with copper color on head and throat, she was given to me through BE, and is a real good broody. As long as the chicks need her, I would try it even several days later, ESP if she is sitting quietly and covering her chicks. Just be there ready to take em back.

 

[ki4got]

well, i snuck them in last night at bedtime, thought having them all night would do the trick. nope. hubby rescued them this morning when he turned on her light and she immediatly chased one (the guinea) into the water dish (he's ok). maybe i should just try chicks but i didn't want to leave the one guinea by himself overnight. i'll try again later with the cochins and see. there's 2 of them and 1 more hatching. wonder if i gave her the egg if she'd take him easier.

 

[gracierooster]

I had one guinea once and until I could get more, I inverted a feather duster upside down and attached it to the top of the brooder with a heat rock underneath. that little chick thought it was mom!

 

[ki4got]

LOL well 4 more guineas hatched, and tho they are going to the sale tomorrow, i didn't want to leave just the 2 cochins alone, so i snagged the one pure cochin from momma and he's been relocated to the brooder bunch. i've got one more trying to hatch, so if he makes it, that'll give me 4 to keep together until more chicks hatch next week. meanwhile momma can have her barred rocks and bantam mutts to take outside in the next week or so.