Not all Broodies will adopt chicks. GRRRRR.

[davemonkey]

Okay, so it's pretty much my own fault. She's only been broody for 4 days, and the chicks were already 4 days old. But I figured hens can't tell time, right? Anyway, I tucked 4-day-olds under her last night thinking she would adopt them. Something told me to get up EARLY this morning and check before the chickens really got to waking up and getting around. So I did. It was AWEFUL. 3 of them were kicked out some time in the night and were cold. Of those, 1 was shivering just in front of the nest, and it looks to be the worse off so far...very lethargic and ill-looking. I'm wondering if it might have internal injuries. Of the 2 others, they managed to find each other and huddled in a corner under the roost bars, but one had a dislocated "knee" which had punctured through the skin. I re-set it and placed that chick (as well as the lethargic one) in a "hospital" box in the house. The others seem okay, but she did manage to get several hard pecks in at others as I was gathering up the first 3.

Oh, well, back to the brooder for them. I had really hoped she would take them because I don't feel like giving any eggs to hatch this time around. Looks like chicken is on the menu this week.

 

[gander007]

I don't think I would have tried that unless she already had some chicks ....

 

[debid]

I know some hens will mother any chick that peeps at her but most are more discriminating and her reaction was quite normal. If she's one that is frequently wanting to sit, I'd sell her to someone desperate for a broody hen before stewing her. She may do just fine with hatching.

 

[davemonkey]

Yeah, this is her first "broody" stage, but her sister (Australorp) hatched a clutch for us a couple months ago and was a wonderful mom. We had a BR go broody and hatch us some chicks, but on Day 2 she gave up on being a mom and left them to fend for themselves. I'm, sure this one would do a fine job, I just don't want more chicks right now. I was going to break her of it (have done this in the past by moving a hen to an empty brooder...the strange location snapped her out of it) but my brooder is currently home to the chicks we just hatched out. Maybe I'll give her an egg or two just for grins. My wife told me that the two in the "hospital" box are actually doing very well now. So I guess I'm not that upset anymore.

 

[donrae]

I know they can't tell time per se, but I do believe they have an idea of how long it's supposed to take. I've been raised to wait til pretty close to the 21 day mark to graft chicks and it's always worked well for me. I think you just pushed it too much.