Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[JShubin]

 

[kfelton0002]

Any of u guys ever hatch any chicks yourself and then see if a hen will adopt them? I've never done it and don't plan to either, just figured I'd ask.

I like to set eggs in the incubator at the same time I set some under a broody hen. When the chicks come off I slip the incubator chicks in with her at night and they are none the wiser. Like JShubin said, they have to be pretty close to the same age because hens cant count, but they can recognize their babies and pick out any that look different or dont belong. Adding week old chicks to an hens new clutch of chicks or vice versa and you are asking for trouble. Game hens are chick killing machines when the chicks do not belong to them. Game hens are dang smart and dang aggressive. Lol

 

[roosterhavoc]

Yeah nah I know all that. I was wondering if anyone ever had a hen with no chicks take over and just flat out adopt them. I won't let other hens get close enough to find out either way, just wondering.
Too cold here yet to let hens set, supposed to get 4-8 inches of snow on Sunday night. Maybe soon.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Another 8

+4

 

[kfelton0002]

Yeah nah I know all that. I was wondering if anyone ever had a hen with no chicks take over and just flat out adopt them. I won't let other hens get close enough to find out either way, just wondering.

I have had hens sitting for a month on bad eggs adopt chicks as long as they are fairly young chicks, a week old or less is what I would recommend. The younger the better. Slip the chicks under her at night, do not let her see what you are doing. Remove the old eggs and stand by and wait a little while to make sure she clucks to them and accepts them. Most hens will adopt chicks this way. I have good success doing it at night.

Obviously, a hen must be broody to accept surrrogate chicks. Non-broody hens will most certainly massacre the entire bunch. Figured I would add that so there is no room for confusion.

 

[JShubin]

I have had hens sitting for a month on bad eggs adopt chicks as long as they are fairly young chicks, a week old or less is what I would recommend. The younger the better. Slip the chicks under her at night, do not let her see what you are doing. Remove the old eggs and stand by and wait a little while to make sure she clucks to them and accepts them. Most hens will adopt chicks this way. I have good success doing it at night.

Obviously, a hen must be broody to accept surrrogate chicks. Non-broody hens will most certainly massacre the entire bunch. Figured I would add that so there is no room for confusion.

I was just about the type up that exact same message. She has to be broody and waiting for eggs to hatch. I am guessing they cant count days either hahaha.
I wonder if you could switch out eggs for chicks after 2-3 days of brooding???????

 

[roosterhavoc]

Yeah I should have been more clear. Same as swapping out eggs. I understand all that.

 

[kfelton0002]

I was just about the type up that exact same message. She has to be broody and waiting for eggs to hatch. I am guessing they cant count days either hahaha.
I wonder if you could switch out eggs for chicks after 2-3 days of brooding???????

I have done it before after they have been broody just a few days or so. They dont act like they notice. Lol

 

[JShubin]

Happy St. Paddys Day

 

[JShubin]

The Carlow Set

Rooster of a fighting stock, would you let a Saxon cock
Crow out upon an Irish rock, fly up and teach him manners.