Letting my broody raise 20 meaties. Now I have a rooster raising 50 CX chicks~new batch!

[Beekissed]

Alright, I have a broody silkie/Polish. Coincidentally, I'm getting 15 CX chicks on the 20th. How can I get the broody to raise these chicks for me? Any chance I can get away with not having a heat lamp for these chicks (lows near freezing, highs in the 70s) if she takes over? I've never had a broody hen before and have no idea where to start. She's in the regular coop, nicely nestled in a nest box. Should I move her into a nest box in the meatie coop? There's not enough space in the regular coop/run to isolate her and 15 chicks.

I don't know that a chicken that size can brood that many CX successfully but you try it by putting her in a brooder pen with some very nice, deep pine bedding. My biggest WR~the one in this thread~could barely cover 20 CX and she was a good 9 lb bird. Your chicks may make use of the bottom, sides and top of her and still stay warm enough to get through the small stage.

I'd put her in the brood pen you have designed for your meaties in a nest on the floor under cover of night and place a cardboard box~upended~over her with just a small flap cut out but not open yet. Keep her under there for most of the next day and then open it to see if she wants to come out for a bite and a sip. Don't be too upset if she doesn't want to move at all. Open her flap but keep the box in place to give her the feeling she is hidden.

When your chicks come, under cover of night, remove her eggs and replace them with chicks...don't lift her up to do it, just slide them under her back side. All very covert, dark and quiet. In the morning you'll know if she is going to brood them for you and then just watch them to see if everyone is getting rotationally warmed under her. You can remove the box at that point so the chicks don't get confused and can't find their way back under mama.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[pipemum]

Thank you, so helpful!!

 

[pipemum]

Bumping for question. The 15 meaties are shipping out on Wednesday. Getting excited! The Polish/silkie is still a diligent broody, ready for chicks. I was thinking of slipping 2 chicks under her, and raising the rest in a brooder. Or I can try all 15 under her, with an Ecoglow set up on the opposite side of the brooder. Is there any point to providing both a mama hen AND heat source in the same brooder? Or should I just give her a couple of chicks, and raise the rest separately? Temps are in the low 30s at night, 60-70 in the days, so obviously the chicks will need heat in some form or another. It'd be so nice if the broody could take care of ALL chicks for me, even if I have to use an ecoglow with her.

 

[Beekissed]

I'd try all the chicks under her and provide a small, regular light~not a heat lamp~in one corner of the brooder. They will find the heat if they need it! Let her do the hard stuff...she'll do fine!

 

[pipemum]

Great, thanks again.

 

[pipemum]

Alright, my Polish/silkie is now proud mama of 14 red and black broiler chicks! She spent 2 nights in the garage brooder and did fine, but yesterday my husband forced me to finish the outdoor brooder (garage is "his" territory and he hates chickens), so she and the chicks spent last night outside. Got down to 32 degrees--I check on them a few times and she was covering all the chicks. I left this morning too early to know if they're all alive--I'm going to assume yes, but won't know till later tonight how everyone is doing. If any pass away, it'll probably be the black broilers--2 didn't make it through the shipping, and a couple more of the black broilers seem weak and undersized.

 

[Beekissed]

How neat! You'll have to show us some pics, you know!

If they are going to survive at all, they will have a better chance under a real mama than just in a brooder and lamp situation. Having that living, breathing nurturing warmth there to dote on them would have to make a difference.

 

[pipemum]

Yeah, I never knew chicks could be so quiet! Having a mama take care of them makes a huge difference. They are so, so content.

Here she is with the chicks. She finally came out of the box to eat and drink--she hadn't moved in 48 hours. I'll have to get one of her with all of the babies under her. I'm not super impressed with fluffy foo-foo headed birds, but dang, they are good mama chickens.

 

[Beekissed]

That's darling! Yes, chicks with mamas are always more quiet and contentedly busy than chicks without one...they run back to warm up under Mom when they get too cold but they don't stay under her long, even on really cold days. Nothing like having a Mom to keep you warm and safe!

 

[BCMaraniac]

That's darling! Yes, chicks with mamas are always more quiet and contentedly busy than chicks without one...they run back to warm up under Mom when they get too cold but they don't stay under her long, even on really cold days. Nothing like having a Mom to keep you warm and safe!

You are right, Bee. They take turns getting out and running around then getting back under her, warming up, and running back out. It reminds me of a revolving door.

I remember when I was little and we would get a big snow. My mom would get me all bundled up, and she would tell me, "Go out and stay out as long as you want. When you come back in, though, you're done." I would stay out till I couldn't stand it anymore because I couldn't feel my fingers and toes, then I would come in. I don't think that Mom wanted to deal with the wet snowy mess I made each time I came back in. Once a day was the limit......not so for the little chickies.