Odds? Broody-Related

[3KillerBs]

I'm hoping to get some Whiting True Blues this week if they aren't sold out before my day off.

I have a broody in the box whose been sitting long enough to have chicks and was thinking of grafting them onto her.

I also have a broody on the ground with chicks that are already 2 weeks old. Do you think it likely that there would be trouble?

I could raise the new ones myself in the brooder, but it would be nice to let my broody girl do the work. One problem being that I wouldn't be there to intervene if there was trouble because I have to work.

Thoughts?

 

[sourland]

If possible, I would foster the chicks to her in an area separate from the flock. Depending upon when you get them, they should be imprinted on one another by the weekend. Then or on your day off you could try integrating them. Good luck.

 

[3KillerBs]

If possible, I would foster the chicks to her in an area separate from the flock. Depending upon when you get them, they should be imprinted on one another by the weekend. Then or on your day off you could try integrating them. Good luck.

I can't separate her. She's brooding in one of the nest boxes.

I have a separate enclosure, but I'm afraid that if I move her I'll break her.

 

[FunClucks]

I kept my broody look-no-see with the flock for several weeks before I let her out with her chicks while I was watching. That way, if there was trouble I'd be on hand. I used chicken wire and separated off an area for her and the chicks, and they were fine in there for a few weeks. They only got visits from me morning and evening. I provided crumble and a chick waterer in there, and changed it out daily. They also had a large 5-gallon bucket with horizontal nipples.

My hen brooded the chicks, but the last one hatched in an incubator and I snuck the last one under her after the first two hatched, since it was a staggered hatch. She accepted it just fine. I think it's worth a shot sticking your day-olds under the broody hen as long as you're around for a day to supervise how the hen takes them. Maybe give them an afternoon or a day to recover from shipping/feed store and then try it and see.

 

[FunClucks]

I can't separate her. She's brooding in one of the nest boxes.

I have a separate enclosure, but I'm afraid that if I move her I'll break her.

Can you just fence off that area? With cardboard or chicken wire or something. Mine brooded in a nest box too, so I had to keep everyone else out of it.

 

[FunClucks]

Side note: Would love to see pics of your WTBs! Mine are about 6? weeks now, and they are cute!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You can certainly try it. Mine show really quickly whether or not they'll take the babies as their own, so you'd only need to linger maybe 20 minutes to listen

 

[3KillerBs]

I think it's worth a shot sticking your day-olds under the broody hen as long as you're around for a day to supervise how the hen takes them. Maybe give them an afternoon or a day to recover from shipping/feed store and then try it and see.

The problem is that I can't be there. I have to work.

The chicks *might* arrive at the store this afternoon. They *might* arrive tomorrow. I work tomorrow. I'm going to the store last thing before they close this afternoon and first thing Thursday but I'm working Wednesday and Friday.

 

[3KillerBs]

You can certainly try it. Mine show really quickly whether or not they'll take the babies as their own, so you'd only need to linger maybe 20 minutes to listen

It's the interaction with the other broody and her two-week-old chicks that I'm worried about. I'm pretty sure the girl in the box would take them.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

It's the interaction with the other broody and her two-week-old chicks that I'm worried about. I'm pretty sure the girl in the box would take them.

I think they would be okay at that age. My mama's usually aren't quite so protective at that age with theirs. It's when I have several hens woth babies that all hatched in a few days of each other that I tend to see aggression more than just flaring and growling