Took a couple baby chicks away from the mother-when can I return them?

[hellopetunia]

We have a broody hen who's been sitting on a huge pile of eggs (she took over the duck house, but they are all chicken eggs) that started hatching yesterday. Last night we picked out a chicken that seemed to be doing poorly and put it in the house under a heat lamp, and this afternoon I came home from work to find the mom outside the duck house, leading a handful of chicks around. There was one chick just coming all the way out of its shell but the mother hen didn't seem to notice. The chick started to get really cold and stopped moving so we brought that one inside as well. The mother hen is now back in the duck house, sitting on the remaining eggs as well as her babies.

The first chick we brought inside is eating, drinking, and hopping around. The second one didn't absorb all of its yolk and is dragging a piece of it's shell behind itself on a string which looks like it may fall off soon. This one took a little while to perk up but now it looks fine too, except for the excess baggage.

In the past I've always gotten baby chicks from a catalogue or something. We keep them inside and then introduce them to the flock when they're old enough. We did have one egg that hatched unexpectedly a few years ago and the baby chick just kind of made a surprise appearance a few days after it was born. We didn't have to do anything and it grew up with no problems. I'm not sure what to do with these chicks. Can I just put them with the other baby chicks or do I have to raise them in the house now that I've taken them away from the rest of the flock?

 

[harleyjo]

You might be able to slip them under mom at night and have her wake up to them in the morning.

 

[hellopetunia]

Thanks. We were thinking of doing that but then i was reading some stuff on here that made me think she would reject them or something. I think I'll try sneaking them under her butt tomorrow night.

 

[ChickyLoo]

Quote:
How did it go? I have a broody girl sitting so learning about possible scenarios

 

[sheila3935]

When my australorp went broody she had one egg that was a week behind the others. I finished that one in the incubator. After it hatched I put him, yes him

under her. She never noticed the difference.

 

[cochinfan]

I had a chick get mixed up with another hens brood. The hen never seemed to notice that she had an extra chick and it was during the day. The hen that lost the chick didn't seem to have a problem either. She has one now and the extra chick is now one of eight. I don't think it would matter when you added the two chicks back but best to do it after she beds down for the night.

 

[hellopetunia]

I did it last night. They ran right underneath her and I think they'll be fine!