Placing chicks under broody hen

[chickcritty]

One of my hens has been broody, but we have no rooster. I got 2 chicks from the farm store and I tried to place them under her last night. I removed the two eggs she was sitting on at the same time. It didn't work out very well. She got off the nest and tried to fly up out of the box I set up for her. I'm not sure how old the chicks are but they are still small and have tiny feathers on their wings. Is there an age limit cut-off for the chicks in order for this to work? They are Silver Laced Wyandottes. The broody is a Black Australorp. Has anyone tried this successfully and do you have any advice? I'm wondering if maybe she hasn't been setting long enough. I think it's only been a week.

 

[karen71]

She might not have been setting long enough- did you try at night that would probably be the best time .

 

[jossanne]

I think she needs to be sitting long enough to have eggs hatch, basically. I've never tried it. I did try adding new feed store chicks to a clutch that had already hatched with my broody last summer, and the mama hen tried to kill them. She would not accept them with her clutch of chicks. Maybe some hens just won't accept them unless they actually hatch them?

 

[chickcritty]

Thanks for the replies. I did try it at night but she wasn't asleep when we put them under her. I think she was still adjusting to me bringing her inside the house yesterday. I brought her outside this morning to poop, eat and drink. She went back to the coop and sat in her old nest with no eggs in it. I brought her back inside and checked her a little while later and she wasn't on the eggs and she kept jumping up hitting her head on the wire top of the box. She wasn't adjusting to the change well and I didn't want her to hurt herself so I brought her back outside and she went back on her old empty nest. I guess I'll just let her be and maybe try reintroducing the chicks in another week or two, but at that point they might be too old. I may end up raising them myself. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

 

[jossanne]

It was definitely worth a shot. Now you can bring the chicks in the house and hand raise them, and no one can get after you because you had good intentions to let a mama hen do all the work!

If you want to break her of being broody, put her in a wire-bottomed cage with no nesting material, up off the ground. That way the cooler air can get under her and it will get her hormones to shift back to normal. Otherwise, I'd be really really tempted to buy her some fertile eggs... I just can't waste a good broody!

 

[Right On Reds]

I had one of my production red/RIR go broody on me two months ago.

All she did was sit on the nest wherever everyone else had laid eggs. I kept taking the eggs away (no roosters here) but she stayed there.

After five weeks she was still sitting so I ordered four fertilized eggs and set them under her, having no prior experience. Relative newbie here!

Well, on day 23 I went to local store and bought some young chicks. Being the hen is so calm with me (let me handle eggs all I wanted, soft cooing clucks to me, and I offered her nest service everyday of food/water which she readily accepted) I took out the bad eggs and shoved in (literally) six little chicks. In the middle of a rainy day mind you.

The chicks were immediately accepted, and now she's really look very proud and contented, singing soft cooing songs. The store bought chicks look way happy too... when they poke their head out to look around LOL right before she gently nudges them under again.

I've read so many horror stories about transitioning chicks under hens, I'll sum up my experience to dumb beginners luck!

I guess now I have to tell the hubby that we're grandparents LOL.

 

[chicken_chik]

I think she needs to be sitting long enough to have eggs hatch, basically. I've never tried it. I did try adding new feed store chicks to a clutch that had already hatched with my broody last summer, and the mama hen tried to kill them. She would not accept them with her clutch of chicks. Maybe some hens just won't accept them unless they actually hatch them?

A gal I know that has raised chicks for awhile now, said that the Momma "talks" to her eggs. They peep a day or 2 before hatching, so maybe she kinda gets to know them that way before hatching? Also, it's a good suggestion to wait til about the 20 day mark of her sitting on "eggs" before giving her some babies at night...following the natural hatching time frame.

I had a hen hatch her first 3 babies this spring. I gave her a small number, just to see if she would stay dedicated to the job...and she did great! She didn't peck her babies, like someone mentioned above. She mothered them wonderfully, and is just starting to leave them on their own now that they are 4 weeks old....they are equipped for the foraging the world, and are integrated into the established flock thanks to her. I am totally a fan of raising chicks under a broody hen! Makes everything so much easier and smoother!