So here's a situational ?....
A woman I know has a big, broody orpington. I gave her some fertile eggs in early Feb. Some were not fertile due to my cold lazy roosters having low fertility in the middle of winter. (It's a diff story now with the snow melting and days getting longer.) Some of the eggs developed but got squished, cracked, and/or eaten during the 1st 2 weeks with the hen.
I had 2 developing eggs in the incubator, so the woman kept her hen broody by allowing her to sit on one remaining, infertile egg. My 2 chicks hatched this morning and she picked them up this afternoon. However, the woman noticed her hen was off the nest this morning - and hasn't gone back. The hen didn't want the chicks.
The only thing I could think of is putting the hen in the nestbox tonight, and under the cloak of darkness, slipping the chicks beneath her. Are there other things that can be done to persuade the hen to adopt them? Is it too risky to try putting them under her?
Opinions please.
A woman I know has a big, broody orpington. I gave her some fertile eggs in early Feb. Some were not fertile due to my cold lazy roosters having low fertility in the middle of winter. (It's a diff story now with the snow melting and days getting longer.) Some of the eggs developed but got squished, cracked, and/or eaten during the 1st 2 weeks with the hen.
I had 2 developing eggs in the incubator, so the woman kept her hen broody by allowing her to sit on one remaining, infertile egg. My 2 chicks hatched this morning and she picked them up this afternoon. However, the woman noticed her hen was off the nest this morning - and hasn't gone back. The hen didn't want the chicks.
The only thing I could think of is putting the hen in the nestbox tonight, and under the cloak of darkness, slipping the chicks beneath her. Are there other things that can be done to persuade the hen to adopt them? Is it too risky to try putting them under her?
Opinions please.