Slipping chicks under a broody hen?

[Trio]

Okay, so I am way ahead of myself here, I have grand plans of showing buff silkies but at this point I only have a half grown roo!
Anyho, if I was to finally find some hens and one if them happens to go broody, is it possible to let her sit on say 3 eggs, and then put like 10 in an incubator at the same time she starts to sit. So hopefully she hatches out a chick, and then I could slip the incubator chicks under her for her to raise? How many chicks could a silkie look after well at once?
Does that idea even work? These are only musings in my head at the moment!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Okay, so I am way ahead of myself here, I have grand plans of showing buff silkies but at this point I only have a half grown roo!
Anyho, if I was to finally find some hens and one if them happens to go broody, is it possible to let her sit on say 3 eggs, and then put like 10 in an incubator at the same time she starts to sit. So hopefully she hatches out a chick, and then I could slip the incubator chicks under her for her to raise? How many chicks could a silkie look after well at once?
Does that idea even work? These are only musings in my head at the moment!

An interesting question and one that I have never considered.

I don't think that it is worth considering because hens are living animals and not feathered automatons that we can manipulate to our human will. Besides, how much stress will the hen experience after she leaves the home flock area? My expectation is that the receiving party will get dead/trampled chicks and a traumatized momma hen.

I think that it would be much easier to ship the chicks like commercial hatcheries do, then raise them in a brooder or attempt to graft them onto a brooding hen on the buyers end. If you attempt this later strategy an already set up brooder would be nice just incase the setting hen that you use doesn't like the looks of the shipped chicks.

 

[KayTee]

It is perfectly possible to put chicks under a broody hen and have her accept them as her own, however there are certain key points to consider:

1. The hen must be seriously broody - ie: have been sitting on the nest non-stop (except to get off once a day to poop and eat) for at least two weeks, preferably three. Any less than two weeks and she will still be in 'broody mode' not 'chick mode', and will ignore any chicks you put under her. (I had this happen to me once).

2. You must use day old chicks (maximum 3 or 4 days old) - they bond to a mother figure in the first few days of life - too old and they won't see her as the one to run to or teach them anything.

3. Introduce the chicks carefully. Leave them in a box close to the nest one evening, so she can hear cheeping for a while (as if they were about to hatch), then after dark slip one chick at a time underneath the hen and watch for her reaction. If she fusses and pushes it under her she has accepted it. If she pecks at it to the point of hurting it then you need to step in and remove it.

4. Always be prepared for the eventuality that the hen rejects the chicks for whatever passes for a good reason in a chicken's head! (sometimes it's very hard to tell!). In this case you will need to have a brooder, heat lamp etc in order to raise the chicks yourself.

I have successfully placed chicks under broody hens three times, and failed once! The failure was my fault, because I was rushing the situation, and the hen hadn't been brooding long enough. I raised the chicks myself and found fertile eggs for the broody, who is currently happily raising three cute chicks she hatched herself.

 

[Trio]

It is perfectly possible to put chicks under a broody hen and have her accept them as her own, however there are certain key points to consider:

1. The hen must be seriously broody - ie: have been sitting on the nest non-stop (except to get off once a day to poop and eat) for at least two weeks, preferably three.  Any less than two weeks and she will still be in 'broody mode' not 'chick mode', and will ignore any chicks you put under her.  (I had this happen to me once).

2. You must use day old chicks (maximum 3 or 4 days old) - they bond to a mother figure in the first few days of life - too old and they won't see her as the one to run to or teach them anything. 

3. Introduce the chicks carefully.  Leave them in a box close to the nest one evening, so she can hear cheeping for a while (as if they were about to hatch), then after dark slip one chick at a time underneath the hen and watch for her reaction.  If she fusses and pushes it under her she has accepted it. If she pecks at it to the point of hurting it then you need to step in and remove it.

4. Always be prepared for the eventuality that the hen rejects the chicks for whatever passes for a good reason in a chicken's head! (sometimes it's very hard to tell!).  In this case you will need to have a brooder, heat lamp etc in order to raise the chicks yourself. 

I have successfully placed chicks under broody hens three times, and failed once!  The failure was my fault, because I was rushing the situation, and the hen hadn't been brooding long enough.  I raised the chicks myself and found fertile eggs for the broody, who is currently happily raising three cute chicks she hatched herself.

Thanks so much! I may give it a go one day. When I was a kid the silkies would only ever hatch out a couple of chicks. I thought maybe if I incubated some too We might get more success. Not so keen on raising them myself. I am sure my husband would not be keen in chicks inside. At least I know I will need a backup plan before I try it. But it is all a long way off. Thankyou so much for your help, great advice.