Silkie's chicks?

[alex]

I have a broody hen, that is sitting on false eggs...Is it possible to buy day old chicks and just put them under her at night? Will she think that there hers and accept them>>? And can you do that>?

 

[bangor777]

I have no idea if you can or not, but for some reason that strikes me as funny. Its like getting two pink lines on a pg test and then waking up with a newborn. I'll be anxious to hear what other people say!

 

[buckbeak]

It can work, but doesn't always. I did it 7 weeks ago & they are now all out with the grownups with their adoptive momma. I tried to do it a week and a half ago with a broody who had just started sitting & it didn't go well, so she's still on her eggs & I have 10 chicks inside that we're raising. Try it, but be prepared in case she doesn't want them. Also, I'd sneak them under her just before dawn, so it is still so dark that she can't see well, but you'll know soon if she isn't caring for them so you can take them back. Good luck!

 

[JaneandLizzy]

It's almost always worked for us, with one exception, but the hen should be about ready to expect chicks, she should have been broody for close to three weeks. Not sure how exact that has to be, 'cause we were never sure exactly how long they were sitting.

We put half under two different broodies this spring and one took them and one didn't. She hopped out of the box. My dd slept in room with the boxes, so she could tell if chicks started peeping or crying. The hen may not have been broody long enough.

 

[alex]

If i do, do it, then will she peck them if she rejects them?

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:

 

[JaneandLizzy]

Is she a Silkie? They are made for this, used for hatching out eggs of even other species. We just did this, yesterday, with our Silkie who had never been a mom before.

She was great. My dd found a hatching chick on Monday morning, a little before we expected, and so she pulled the Silkie out of her nest box, and put her in a box with pinechips in the house. She let her get used to the idea by having her sit on some warm eggs for a short while. Then she slipped the chick under her wing, and the hen made happy momma sounds.

This was in the morning, in a box providing little light.
The rest of the eggs are hatching under her, but they had all come from other hens. She was just broody, and we weren't sure how long, so it was a test.

Even though she went through the upheaval of the move into the new nest, and it was her first time, there was no problem.

There can be though, so I would stick around to see how it goes. You might try the evening when it is dim and you are still up. She should sound happy, I know... you're thinking, "what's that?!".

When we had the Japanese who was not ready for chicks, she made a different disturbed sound. Even she did not hurt the chicks, but just jumped out of the box. My dd spent the night in the room with them, so she was able to hear the chicks peeping when the hen left.

Hope it goes smoothly for you.