Silkie hen adopting Peachicks

[muscovy94]

Hey I have my silkie hen sitting on dud eggs. When My peacocks hatched I was going to put them under her and have her adopt them. Do I need to wait until the peacock chicks are dry and fluffy or do I need to put them under her when they are still wet?

 

[alicefelldown]

I was hoping for pictures

 

[Suburban Sprouts]

Quote:
x2!!

 

[Kev]

Now! It's really best to set eggs either at pip or before pip, but the babies are making noises. This gets the hen "ready to bond/for babies showing up under her". All hens(chicken peahen etc) respond to chick peeping in eggs.. they start imprinting on each other's voices before they even hatch.

Some hens will accept already hatched babies under her well, others may freak at suddenly having something moving and noisy under her with 'no warning at all', make sense? Silkies usually are tight setters so it may be relatively easy with her.

Put chicks under her(yes UNDER her, right up against the skin on her belly.. do not place baby right in front of hen. Under her and not between body and wing either. Doesn't matter much if still wet or already dry, but babies still wet can have easier time accepting hen as mother than a chick already dried off for hours in hatcher) with as little fuss as possible... then back off! Do not meddle, trying to see the baby etc.. the hen really needs the adjustment period of having a baby suddenly under her.. and if bothered, may become confused and actively reject the chick by hurting or killing it. So.. be calm then back off. watch from many feet away, not with face right in her own! Just after dark is best too, so the hen and baby have the whole night to bond.. daytime will still work for a very newly hatched chick but do have to watch the hen's reaction.

It's pretty important she be the only one in pen.. if there are other chickens, they may very well make a total mess of things, either directly killing the peachick or completely bothering the hen and interfering with the bond between her and the chicks etc.

 

[alicefelldown]

Do it at night when she is sleepy!! Less chance of her rejecting the chicks.