Slipping Day Old's Under Broody??

[pixie74943]

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

This page is all about letting Mama Hen do all the work, which is great for me considering I really cant invest the 24hour time required for baby chookens.

Sooo. I wanted to know if other people have tried slipping day old chicks under broody hens with success?? Or lack of?? I want to be sure this is a good idea before I entrust tiny lives to my hen.

Cheers folks

btw.. this thread doubles as a place for cute baby pictures/stories

 

[flakey chick]

I've had both. My bantam EE went broody soon after laying. I let her stay broody, but kept taking away the eggs. I picked up some sexed RIR pullets I knew I would be able to sell later. I slipped them under her at night. I got up before the chickens and parked a lawnchair next to the broody box. She started clucking to them = acceptance.

.. Or so I thought

Unfortunately they were almost a week old. When she saw what they looked like, she chased them away from her eggs, but didn't attack them.

A few days later I got some younger bantams and tried again. Success. She really enjoyed being a mama to those babies.

If you're going to do it, I'd recommend.
-Slip them under her at night.
-Get up before the chickens just incase she doesn't accept them.
-Wait until you know she has been broody for at least 19 days.
-Make sure her broody box is separated from the rest of the flock.

 

[Chickenfortress]

I've tried. She just kills them, if we don't get them out quickly. It's been this way with all of our broodies. No trick works. Well, maybe rubbing them with barbeque sauce so they taste better for her . I won't even bother trying again, because they are too easy to care for to risk it.

There is no "24 hour" care required with chicks.

 

[Lollipop]

Yes, lots of folks here have had success slipping chicks under hens that have been setting for 2-3 weeks. It`s always a crap shoot, however as some hens will reject them. Best to do it at night and be there in the morning when the hen wakes up to insure success.

That article is the best one I`ve read on broodies. I have it saved and hrow it up here whenever the question comes up. Been doing this for 51 years and I can`t explain it any better.

Good luck with your project........Pop

 

[Chickenmaven]

We had a Phoenix hen go broody - 3 weeks to the day - before we were scheduled to pick up chicks froma local breeder. We let her sit on 5 of our barnyard mix eggs. Three hatched on a Monday morning. That afternoon, I came home with 12 Ameraucanas. I had a brooder ready in case she didn't want them.

She took right to them! In fact, they are nearly six weeks old and she will not be away from them. It is hilarious to see these big chicks, who are about half her size, crowding to take cover under her wings.

I say: It's worth the try, but have a back-up plan. For us, this was a super arrangement. The nights have been in the 40s all spring and I really, really did not want to brooder chicks in the house.