The little things when getting a tragedy-stricken broody to adopt chicks...

[SoCalClucker]

I have a Buff Orpington, named Abda by my little son (who was a baby when we got her and had a one-word vocabulary of, you guessed it, Abda!) who has been broody for several weeks. About a week in, we decided to try letting her hatch a clutch of eggs so ordered a dozen fertilized eggs, which she happily accepted and has been dutifully mothering in a nest box that is not closed off in any way from the rest of the flock. I was too afraid to try and move the nest and nobody was bugging her, so we have been putting it off. Hatch is mid-next-week, but yesterday, there was a disastrous incident that left only 5 eggs intact and of those, I think only 1-2 have any real chance. So, we REALLY need to move her. We have a great setup we can use, but how do I actually move her? Last night, DH and I snuck in at night and tried to be stealthy but she woke up and raised all sorts of commotion trying to get back to her old nest, even though her nest and eggs were right next to her in her new mini-run. Is there a secret to moving broody hens and their nests?

To make things even more complex, we decided to order some day-old chicks for her to hopefully adopt. Poor girl has earned herself some babies. They should hatch Monday and ship overnight to arrive Tuesday, and I plan to try and tuck them under her Tuesday night. Between arrival and Tuesday night, do I keep them in a traditional brooder box with heat, food, water? Or is there some upside to minimally interacting with them and letting Mama (hopefully) do it when she wakes on Wednesday morning? They'd be 2 days old at that point, and it seems a little cruel not to provide them nourishment after their stressful trip. Any advice?
Thanks for any advice...

 

[IZZYBELLA]

I have always moved my broodies during daylight and found that once they see the eggs they are fine. Maybe try during daytime? You will want to move her for sure (in my opinion.)

As for the chicks... I personally would just stick them under her as soon as they arrive, even in broad daylight. That is what I did with mine and she accepted them with no questions (although she looked confused for a moment - ha!).

 

[SoCalClucker]

@IZZYBELLA What an incredibly simple approach! So I am overthinking, overcomplicating, hmm... Absolutely possible. Ha! Thank you so much, it's nice to know everything doesn't have to be so hard

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Lol! We ALL overthink because we want what is best for the animals! I hope the simple approach works for you... keep me posted!

 

[SoCalClucker]

Izzybella, I took your advice... The sun is starting to set but it's not dark yet, I set up the new setup again and moved everything over as smooth as I could. Took the matter-of-fact, no big deal attitude. They say it works on teenagers. She is in her private vip suite now, looking at her "new" nest and thinking about what she wants to do. There's really nowhere else in there that's a comfy sleeping spot, so I'm hoping that helps. I figure I'll give her a bit of time, and if she doesn't take to it, I'll have to move her back (again). How long do you think I should give her? The eggs are at about day 15/16. How long can they go without her sitting on them? Thankfully it's warm out, still about 75... Thank you!!!

 

[IZZYBELLA]

At that temperature I would think they would be fine for at least half an hour. Any luck in getting her to take to the new best?

 

[SoCalClucker]

OMG OMG I'm soooo relieved! She literally stood there staring at the nest and then trying to get out of the mini run back to the coop in the most heartbreaking way for almost 2 hours, but once dusk hit, she settled down on the nest and is back on her eggs now I read that at this stage the eggs can be unattended for longer than we think, so I grit my teeth and waited it out. And whaddya know!
I'm really hoping she's there for the eggs and not just to sleep... If I go out there tomorrow morning and she's lost interest in her eggs at what is now day 17, I will cry :-( Given my lack of confidence in any of the eggs hatching, we have day-old chicks coming on Tuesday, so I really just need her to stay broody until then! Any actual hatchlings will be total icing on the cake.
If not for you, I would have caved in and moved her back to the coop within half an hour, it was your advice that gave me the confidence to wait it out just a little longer. Thanks so much izzybella!!!

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Yay! I am so glad she finally took to her new nest!

 

[Ridgerunner]

A lot of the advice on here is overkill most of the time. Moist of the time integration, broody hens, feeding, housing, and other things chickens go really well but there are things you can do to improve your odds of success. With integration, the more room you can give them and giving them the chance to see each other for a while often help make the process smoother, but many people just toss new chickens in with the flock without quarantine and really don't have serious problems, even in fairly small spaces.

When I move a broody hen it's usually during the day, but when I move one I lock her in the new nest the rest of that first day. Even if I move one at night I leave her locked in the new nest most of the next day, not allowed out in her pen until real close to dark. My success rate doing this is right at 100%. It doesn't mean you have to do it this way, just that it helps your odds. Obviously you can move one the way you did and it can work out, patience often helps a lot, but your odds of success are less.

I've given chicks to broody hens in the middle of the day as well as putting the chicks in with a broody after dark. It depends on the circumstances. My only two failures have been when I tried during the day. Many broody hens will accept and mother practically any chick but it helps your odds of success if she thinks they are hers.

A lot of people on this forum asking questions have no experience and often their facilities are not absolutely perfect when it comes to doing some of these things. Any failure can be emotionally devastating, they really beat themselves up if something doesn't go right. I'm fully aware that a lot of what I recommend is extremely cautious but I'll keep recommending or suggesting the cautious ways. A lot of it isn't that much more work and the improved chances of success can make a difference to some people. For most people it won't matter that much.

When you get those chicks you can certainly immediately put them with the broody. You don't have to put them under her, just in the nest with her, they'll find their way under her. Don't crush a chick trying to force one under her. I think your odds of success are pretty good. Your odds are better if you try that at night but it's not necessary for you to wait, it will probably work out either way. I've done it both ways.

It sounds like you may be getting those chicks mailed. They may come in Tuesday or Wednesday. The chicks can go at least three full days and usually more without eating or drinking, I once hatched some in an incubator on a Monday, put them under a broody Wednesday night when the later incubator ones were ready, and she did not bring them off the nest until Friday with the ones she hatched. Those chicks went that long, Monday until Friday (four full days) without food or water. The hen should know when she needs to abandon the nest to take them to food and water based on how they peep at her. Just because my chicks went that long doesn't mean all chicks can, but they are often a lot tougher than people expect.

Sometimes eggs under a broody hen hatch a couple of days early or late. I usually stick some eggs in the incubator when I put some under the broody, that way she is pretty much assured she'll get chicks to raise, even if I have a problem like you did. The timing doesn't always work out perfectly though. There are different scenarios but one trick I've learned when the hen has brought her chicks off the nest by the time I'm ready to give her the incubator chicks (one of my failures) is to put all the chicks in a box then dump them near her. Most of the time if you just put the new chicks on the ground near her they will run to her and she will accept them, but I learned not always. It's just another one of those things to improve your odds. This may not work either.

Something else you can do to try to extend her time on the eggs if they are a little late is to put food and water near the nest so her chicks can eat and drink. You don't want that messing up her eggs so don't let them dump water in the nest, but real close. It may or may not help. Just something else to improve your odds. You don't have to do any of this, it will probably work out well anyway. Good luck!

 

[azygous]

I can't add much to this discussion. You've already received terrific advice from others. But one thing I would do when the chicks arrive that you've ordered is to dip each beak in water and let them hydrate themselves before putting them with the broody.