Leaving a new mama?

[callieriggs]

Looking forward to getting my broody hen some chicks at the end of this week or the beginning of next week. I am wondering... if she takes to the chicks, how long until they are "safe" to leave alone. We are looking at going out of town for a weekend and I don't want to get chicks and leave them too soon.

 

[Elky]

If she excepts them and you see her taking them to water and food then they are good. They will be following her around every where

 

[bobbi-j]

How old will the chicks be that you are planning on getting? The younger they are, the better the chances of her accepting them. If they're too old (like more than 1-3 days) they may not accept her, either. I've never had a problem with a broody adopting chicks that I've put under her. I do it at night with as little light and commotion as possible. Just quietly slip the eggs out from under her, and slip the chicks in. How long has she been broody?

 

[callieriggs]

She will be 2 weeks broody on Sunday or Monday. It is possible she has been broody longer but we were out of town. We probably didn't know she was broody until Tuesday which makes me think she had just started. We only have 2 chickens and we can't tell if our Polish is going broody too or if she is just sitting in a nest because she is lonely. Weird!