taking day old chicks from hen

[Mrs.Puff]

This post might not be in the right spot...

so I have a ton of broodies, and my friend would like me to put some of her eggs under one of my gals, then she would take the chicks. Will the hen go ballistic? Will she keep looking all around for them, or will she go back to laying faster?

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! I take chicks from hens all the time (I prefer hand-raised chicks over hen-raised chicks). BUT I always take them as soon as they are out of the shell and bring them inside to a heated brooder to raise. My hens don't seem to care one way or the other.
Good luck!

Lisa

 

[Mrs.Puff]

Thanks Lisa- That helps!

 

[pbjmaker]

Thanks Lisa - I was wondering about that myself. I agree that having incubated eggs and letting broodies do all the work. Broodies are the way to go.
But as cute as it is watching them raise the chicks - I find the my hen-raised chicks are a little more leary to come near me and near impossible to catch. I usually have to hold their mothers hostage and then they come looking for her if I need to capture one.

 

[Mrs.Puff]

That's so true! You really have to entice the "wild" chicks with treats and stuff, and handle them from day one if you want them to be very tame. But then there's also too tame... I have three that are about 5 weeks old now, and they are already running with the big girls, but when I am outside in the evening, they hang around me all night, and won't go into the coop until I walk them down there. Once I head that direction, they're off like rockets.

 

[pbjmaker]

Mrs.Puff :

That's so true! You really have to entice the "wild" chicks with treats and stuff, and handle them from day one if you want them to be very tame. But then there's also too tame... I have three that are about 5 weeks old now, and they are already running with the big girls, but when I am outside in the evening, they hang around me all night, and won't go into the coop until I walk them down there. Once I head that direction, they're off like rockets.

Mrs. Puff - can I ask where at in Iowa are you?​

 

[Sunny Side Up]

It's not so much that the hen would "mind", especially if you take the chicks out of her sight & hearing. But the hens do such a good job of tending their chicks, why would you want to make work for yourself when you have an animal available to do it for you? Some folks think hen-raised chicks are smarter & healthier too. Sure they're a bit wary of people, but they'll also be more wary of predators too. The hen usually will only stay with the chicks for a short time, 1-2 months perhaps, why not wait until then to take the chicks? There will still be ample time to endear yourself to them after the hen is done with their schooling.

 

[pbjmaker]

I agree - I was just stating the difference. There has been an occasion to need to get a hold of a chick and it is just very hard to catch them. None of my birds are what you would call "cuddly". Even the ones I hand raised.