Putting live chicks under broody hen

[KRack]

I don’t even have a broody hen currently. But I was wondering if anyone tried to stick live chicks under a broody hen, when she hadn’t been broody for long?

Let’s say she had been sitting for 5 days, and you put live chicks under her, and took any eggs she was laying on. Would she react as if the appropriate amount of time had passed?

Asking because I have a hen that gets broody but I don’t have a rooster. So she sits on duds. My options are to find fertilized eggs to get under her, or try the live chick thing (or break her broodiness, but I like that option least currently). Just looking for thought and opinions because I’m curious.

 

[Sussex19]

I thought they probably have some type of internal timer I shouldn’t try to tamper with too much.

It depends on the individual hen lot, some might be quite happy with chicks at any time they are broody, but others will have to sit the full three weeks.
I have done it around day 13? and she took slightly longer to except them, but she did.
She looked rather puzzled to start with!

 

[WitchyWomen]

So I have a bantam hen that goes broody all the time. I normally break her from it but twice i have bought day old chicks. All i have to do is lift the nesting box lid and let her hear the babies in the box. However, she was broody for a couple of weeks before I tried it. They start peeping and she gets soooo excited. I literally just stick them in the nesting box with her and she immediately starts tucking them underneath her. She might not even have eggs under her. Normally when I have a broody hen, I remove the eggs every day because we don’t have a rooster. Broody hens will sit on “nothing” and still hope for babies. I have never had to take an egg and quickly slip a baby under her. I just start taking babies out of the box and handing them to her. She is an amazing mom. I let her have her babies in the large coop, with the other hens, but after a few hours, I remove her and put her and the babies in a separate small coop/run. However, if you have a hen that starts immediately pecking at the new babies….she isn’t ready. If she doesn’t take to the babies instantly, don’t leave them with her. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Sussex19]

I would try to let her sit for at least two weeks if possible, as that would increase the chances of it working.

 

[KRack]

I would try to let her sit for at least two weeks if possible, as that would increase the chances of it working.

I thought they probably have some type of internal timer I shouldn’t try to tamper with too much.

 

[NatJ]

I was wondering if anyone tried to stick live chicks under a broody hen, when she hadn’t been broody for long?

Let’s say she had been sitting for 5 days, and you put live chicks under her, and took any eggs she was laying on. Would she react as if the appropriate amount of time had passed?

I've tried it. One hen accepted chicks in a case like that, another hen did not. So 50% success with a very small sample size.

I've had at least 5 different hens accept chicks when they sat for 3-4 weeks, and I think only one that did not. (This has been spread over a number of years, so my count may be off by a little bit-- but it definitely worked most times.)

Asking because I have a hen that gets broody but I don’t have a rooster. So she sits on duds. My options are to find fertilized eggs to get under her, or try the live chick thing (or break her broodiness, but I like that option least currently). Just looking for thought and opinions because I’m curious.

If you want to try giving her chicks, I would let her sit for at least 2 weeks and preferably 3 before giving her the chicks. I think it is more likely to be successful at that point.

 

[LaFleche]

I would rather keep the broody and her new chicks separate but in full sight of the flock for 10-14 days so they will be able to bond and gain enough strength and agility to get out of the way when other flock members peck or chase them.

 

[WitchyWomen]

I would like to ask a follow up question. I have a broody hen (she’s been broody for about 3 weeks) I just bought chicks to try to put underneath her but realize I didn’t think it through all the way. I will wait until night time to put the chicks under her but then what? Do I leave momma and babies in the coop with the rest of the flock? Do I have to separate them? If everyone is all together, what do I feed them that will be nourishing to chicks and layers? I’m kicking myself now for not being more prepared

So this is what I do. I put the babies under the hen and I stand outside to listen. If they quiet down and everything is good…I go to bed. Lol!! In the morning, I either block off part of the coop for the mom and babies or I have a separate small coop that I put them in. If your hen is a high ranking hen, she can take care of protecting her babies. I have a couple hens that don’t watch over their babies as good as others so it would depend on the hen. You need to have starter chick food for the babies and mom will eat that too. You need water as well. You need to make sure these little babies are safe and can access the food and water and go back underneath their mom. If your coop is large, you can put a dog crate inside the coop and put mom and babies in there. Lots of options!!! Good luck and go buy some chick food. Lol!!!!!

 

[NatJ]

I would like to ask a follow up question. I have a broody hen (she’s been broody for about 3 weeks) I just bought chicks to try to put underneath her but realize I didn’t think it through all the way. I will wait until night time to put the chicks under her but then what? Do I leave momma and babies in the coop with the rest of the flock? Do I have to separate them? If everyone is all together, what do I feed them that will be nourishing to chicks and layers? I’m kicking myself now for not being more prepared

You can leave momma and babies with the rest of the flock, or you can separate them. The hen will typically protect her babies and make everyone else stay far away. Some hens do this better than others, and the size of their coop & run can be important too (In a small coop there is not enough space for the other chickens to stay away from the hen & chicks.) So leaving the hen with the flock works well for some people, but causes problems for some other people, who have different coops or different hens.

For feeding a mixed flock, just give them all chick starter or flock raiser, and provide a separate dish of oyster shell. The chicks need high protein and small pieces of food, but those are fine to older chickens as well. The laying hens need more calcium than the babies, and chickens are usually pretty good at self-regulating oyster shell according to their own needs: more for the layers, much less or none for non-layers such as males, growing chicks, and broody hens.

If you leave the entire flock together, make sure the young chicks can reach the food and water. Some styles of waterer and feeder are fine for chickens of all sizes, but some are only suitable for adult chickens (like treadle feeders where a chicken must weigh a certain amount to make the lid open.) It is also good to have at least two feeders, and at least two waterers, to reduce competition and conflicts.

 

[amandam121]

You can leave momma and babies with the rest of the flock, or you can separate them. The hen will typically protect her babies and make everyone else stay far away. Some hens do this better than others, and the size of their coop & run can be important too (In a small coop there is not enough space for the other chickens to stay away from the hen & chicks.) So leaving the hen with the flock works well for some people, but causes problems for some other people, who have different coops or different hens.

For feeding a mixed flock, just give them all chick starter or flock raiser, and provide a separate dish of oyster shell. The chicks need high protein and small pieces of food, but those are fine to older chickens as well. The laying hens need more calcium than the babies, and chickens are usually pretty good at self-regulating oyster shell according to their own needs: more for the layers, much less or none for non-layers such as males, growing chicks, and broody hens.

If you leave the entire flock together, make sure the young chicks can reach the food and water. Some styles of waterer and feeder are fine for chickens of all sizes, but some are only suitable for adult chickens (like treadle feeders where a chicken must weigh a certain amount to make the lid open.) It is also good to have at least two feeders, and at least two waterers, to reduce competition and conflicts.

Thank you so much! I appreciate your speedy reply!