Putting chicks under NON-broody hen....

buttersbrood

Chirping
Oct 5, 2021
86
101
96
Aotearoa New Zealand
Hi there!

We have 3 chicks (2 orpingtons - lavender and blue - and 1 barred rock, all about 3/4 days old). I know you're supposed to put day old chicks under a broody hen - and these are 3 to 4 day old and op top of that, the hen is not broody...

We do have a heatlamp and the whole chick set up, but I much prefer a hen to raise them.

So... I put them under our oekin bantam a couple of nights ago. I put her in the broody coop for a day, and tucked the chicks under at night in the dark. She screamed blue murder and pecked them. Not the nice little pecks either. I watched fir a bit, but no improvement, so I put the chicks back under the heatlamp for the night.

Next day, I put the Pekin back with the flock, and put our Silky in the broody coop with 7 eggs. She kind of half sat on them - for part of the day, half-heartedly. She's never been a mum before, so I knew I was pushing my luck in terms of her accepting the chicks and knowing what to do (considering she's not broody).

Last night, I put the 3 chicks under her. She didn't fuss. They settled under her and all seemed fine. I checked again several times in the late evening and all was quiet, chicks tucked under still.

Thus morning, at dawn, I checked again. I put good out and drink.

She initially pecked ONE of the chicks, the blue orpington. Hard too, not the gentle get-back-under-me kind of peck. I tucked that one under her again, after several pecks. She then ate. The other 2 came out, and she watched them with interest it seemed. She pecked one once, but then stopped and watched them eat. The blue orpington came out after a while, and ate too. She watched but did not peck. She also, however, does not tidbit, call them, etc. Just watches them.

After breakfast, she settled again (it's a small box and I've blocked off the exit so she has no where to go either ;). Chicks went back under her. All is quiet.

What do you think? Did out Silky, who is about a year and has never Mothered before, accept them? Will she be able to raise these chicks? Anyone with experience in this department?

I'd love to hear your opinions, thoughts and advice.

Thanks so much!
Katja
 

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I personally think you should count your lucky stars that neither of these hens killed the chicks. Right now the Silkie's probably just tolerating them being in there but if you were to let her out and try to have her actually raise these chicks she'll abandon them and the others will launch an attack again.
If you want them to integrate faster into the flock, you should get a brooder plate or a mama heating pad and set them up in the coop and brood them in there, properly protected. Then you can start integration when they're about 4-5 weeks old. I would not continue on this path.
 
Honestly introducing chicks to even a BROODY hen is a crapshoot. I had a broody mom go ape and she attacked the babies, even when they were day olds. I put babies under a broody hen trying to hatch eggs but it was like she knew the days weren't right and didn't accept the chicks. She has accepted chicks before but ONLY after having any babies hatch.

I agree with DobieLover - you're very lucky neither have just outright killed the babies. It sounds like they're going to be your responsibility until they're old enough to be integrated!
 
Thanks for your replies everyone!

I have a good chicken loving and chicken expert friend who has pulled this off several times over the years - but clearly it's rare as hens teeth! ;)

I did stay with the hen and chicks for every minute they were together, since just before dawn, watching for any pecking, so I did not put the chicks at any risk.

The hen initially, for about and hour and a half, seem to accept the chicks. They were under her, then came out to eat and drink. But after the first 90 minutes of watching them and having them go under her and out again, and eating together from the same bowl, she decided, no, she did not want these chicks, actually. Started pecking, as you said. I watched for a few minutes, then took them out. Definitely a fail! Now all three under the heat lamp. Oh well. I tried :)

Thanks for your help everyone.
 
I have only ever had one bird that would brood when she wasn't broody, and she had other things wrong with her too, so definitely not normal behavior. Odds are she's not doing anything because she can't go anywhere. She'd likely leave them as soon as allowed too
I as well have a hen that is obsessed with chicks and will brood them no matter what. Otherwise my non-broody hens, and even my broody hens sometimes, will try to kill the chicks.
 
Just raise the chicks in a brooder it will solve so many problems
They did back in October
I as well have a hen that is obsessed with chicks and will brood them no matter what. Otherwise my non-broody hens, and even my broody hens sometimes, will try to kill the chicks.
Gosh, I wish I still had my Nanny hen. She was such an angry, bitter bird, but she made it easier when I decided I wanted babies. She only lost one out of all the chicks she raised, and the last batch was like 8 day olds and 14 or so 3 week olds, so that's awfully impressive that she didn't lose one out of those
 
I as well have a hen that is obsessed with chicks and will brood them no matter what. Otherwise my non-broody hens, and even my broody hens sometimes, will try to kill the chicks.
I have a hen like that too. She is one of my favorites she is a Yokohama mix that I hatched about 4 years ago. She goes broody like every 2 months and is a great mother.
 

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