Slipping a chick into a coop

[TT4059]

I have questions and need answers from egg-perts about slipping a baby chick into a coop.

This is Boo. (9 months old) She went broody yesterday. I have no rooster. She went broody before and I stopped her by locking her out of the coop for a whole day. Im expecting a small order of chicks in the mail this week. I want to give her one so she can be a Mom. One chick I ordered will look just like her (Black Silkie).
See her set up below…

1. Do I remove the eggs under her and slip the chick in at night? Or can I leave the eggs, so I don’t disturb her much and just slip the chick in?

2. As you can see in the picture her laying box is raised. Is is safe to slip a chick in there with her? Will the chick fall off the ramp? I was thinking of adding lots of extra hay just in case. Please give me suggestions about this.

3. I know I should put food and water in the coop. Will the chick find its way down to the water? I don’t think there is sny room in that box to place water, it will spill.

4. Should I move Boo and the chick to one of the lower boxes on the ground? She never uses those though…

5. I ordered day old chicks and they will be guessing 2 days old by the time they are delivered. I usually dip their beaks in water so they know where the water is. Does the chick I slip in need to be 2 days old or should I give it water and food for a couple days first before slipping it in?

Thank you for your answers!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

1. I would remove the eggs right after you slip the chick in because if she has been sitting on eggs and they are still there, she may continue to sit for a couple days before caring for the new chick.
2. I wouldn't worry, chicks are pretty durable and can fall some distance.
3. The hen will take the chick to food and water.
4. If the chick can't figure out the ramp or jump in, she will likely find a place lower for she and the chick.
5. The younger the chick, the more likely they will adopt the hen so just put it in. Wait till it is dark and slip the chick behind her. After a half hour, check to make sure it isn't running around on the floor.

 

[Yardmom]

Chick do better with a buddy. Would it be possible to give her 2 chicks? Shipping is stressful on chicks. While waiting for it to get dark offer the chicks food and water. I would remove the eggs to try to have her take the chicks off the nest sooner. They need to start where she is currently sitting. She would not stay with them in another spot.

 

[TT4059]

1. I would remove the eggs right after you slip the chick in because if she has been sitting on eggs and they are still there, she may continue to sit for a couple days before caring for the new chick.
2. I wouldn't worry, chicks are pretty durable and can fall some distance.
3. The hen will take the chick to food and water.
4. If the chick can't figure out the ramp or jump in, she will likely find a place lower for she and the chick.
5. The younger the chick, the more likely they will adopt the hen so just put it in. Wait till it is dark and slip the chick behind her. After a half hour, check to make sure it isn't running around on the floor.

Thank you! Can I slip the chicks in at night and remove the eggs in the am? Or should I try to grab the egg at night? I feel like I will wake her if I try to take the egg at night.

 

[TT4059]

Chick do better with a buddy. Would it be possible to give her 2 chicks? Shipping is stressful on chicks. While waiting for it to get dark offer the chicks food and water. I would remove the eggs to try to have her take the chicks off the nest sooner. They need to start where she is currently sitting. She would not stay with them in another spot.

Hmmm I guess I could give her 2. I hope they do ok. I live in on the coast in RI and its still fairly cold here right now. She is young and hasn’t raised any before and I don’t have a camera to watch inside the coop. We want to raise some in the house in a Brooder box too. My kids love raising chicks.
Will the mama hen be aggressive towards my young kids if they hold “her 2 chick”? Just asking so I know. She is normally a sweet non aggressive hen.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you! Can I slip the chicks in at night and remove the eggs in the am? Or should I try to grab the egg at night? I feel like I will wake her if I try to take the egg at night.

Anything you do will wake her up. Just take the eggs anyway.

5. I ordered day old chicks and they will be guessing 2 days old by the time they are delivered. I usually dip their beaks in water so they know where the water is. Does the chick I slip in need to be 2 days old or should I give it water and food for a couple days first before slipping it in?

Baby chicks usually arrive in the morning.
So let it spend all day in the brooder, eating and drinking and being warm.
Then try putting it under the hen that night.

This is Boo. (9 months old) She went broody yesterday....Im expecting a small order of chicks in the mail this week.

She might not be willing to take care of any chicks this soon.
Hens usually sit for 3 weeks before the eggs hatch and they switch to mothering chicks.

You can try it, and I have had one hen accept chicks that early.
But there is some element of risk. She might attack that fluffy intruder, trying to protect her nest.

I want to give her one so she can be a Mom. One chick I ordered will look just like her (Black Silkie).

If she accepts one chick, she would probably accept them all. You said it's just a small order.

So if she does accept one chick, I would try putting the others underneath her the next night. It would be easier for you and better for the chicks if they grow up as one group, instead of having some in a brooder and one under the hen.

Will the mama hen be aggressive towards my young kids if they hold “her 2 chick”? Just asking so I know. She is normally a sweet non aggressive hen.

Maybe, maybe not.

If the chick is peeing and seems distressed, she might be aggressive.
If she only has one chick and someone holds it, she might be aggressive.

But if someone holds one contented chick (no unhappy peeping) and the hen has at least one chick still with her, she will probably not care. Hens do not count well! I think they can tell when they have "chicks" or "no chicks," but cannot tell how many chicks.

 

[Yardmom]

My children regularly pick up hens chicks. They have never had a hen become aggressive when they did. (The first hatch I made them wait a week, now I know that wasn't nessisary) Those same hens will chase the dog or any other animal they see as a threat away from the chicks. So as long as the hen has been fine with children before, the children should be fine to pick up the chicks

 

[TT4059]

I need advice.
I successfully put the chick in with her. I can only place one, my kids want to raise one each…
So the hen has the chick under her snd seems like she wants it there. What Im worried about is the hen us still sitting and does get up to shoe the chick food and water. I threw dome treats down and she ran out snd left the chick. I grabbed the chick and it drank alot of water. I don’t think its had any food today yet. It was eating and drinking yesterday in the brooder before dark.
She is still up high in her box and when she came back in from the treats the chick was cheeping for help and she just sat in her box.
I placed the chick up with her and it was next to her. I tried to take the chick back to see if she wanted it and she pecked my hand.
The chick then ran under her.

Should I remove the chick? Why didn't my hen move down near the water? Will my hen hate me if I remove the chick?
Should I try to move the hen? I feel like she will go right back up there to her box in the air.

 

[TT4059]

My children regularly pick up hens chicks. They have never had a hen become aggressive when they did. (The first hatch I made them wait a week, now I know that wasn't nessisary) Those same hens will chase the dog or any other animal they see as a threat away from the chicks. So as long as the hen has been fine with children before, the children should be fine to pick up the chicks

I picked up the chick and she seemed fine not aggressive at all, just a little peck at my hand when I took it.

 

[themotleycoopchic]

I picked up the chick and she seemed fine not aggressive at all, just a little peck at my hand when I took it.

I did this with my silkie too. She sat for 2 days before she took them to food and water. Since those chicks were in my brooder all day and knew how to feed and water themselves and did for those 2 days. They would get back under the hen in the nest when cold. Difference between our set ups.. my nesting box is on the coop floor. But it did work. It also freaked me out when she didnt get up with them. But before I did anything else, i observed and made sure they were eating and drinking and warm. My only worry with your set up is the ramp. Watch, if they figure that out, your good. My broody chicks were so much more calm and seemed so happy.