TSC chicks to Broody Hen

FluffyHenrietta

Hatching
Jul 30, 2022
4
4
8
I have a young hen that has gone broody about 3 times so far this summer. I didn’t bother breaking her broody streaks and the middle one lasted for 3 weeks. This time around, I wanted to give her a chance. Roosters are not allowed in our town so no chance the eggs were fertile or going to hatch. TSC said they got a shipment of chicks, all less than 1 week old they said. So I got 6 and put them all under her tonight. She had done well…even nudged a couple of them under her wing & the chicks got quiet as they got under her. Everybody is probably asleep for the night. Keeping my fingers crossed this works out well. Any tips what to look for in the morning? I’m hoping the chicks bond to her & she to them. What should I do about the other non-broody girls in the flock? I have a brooder set up inside just in case.
 
I have a young hen that has gone broody about 3 times so far this summer. I didn’t bother breaking her broody streaks and the middle one lasted for 3 weeks. This time around, I wanted to give her a chance. Roosters are not allowed in our town so no chance the eggs were fertile or going to hatch. TSC said they got a shipment of chicks, all less than 1 week old they said. So I got 6 and put them all under her tonight. She had done well…even nudged a couple of them under her wing & the chicks got quiet as they got under her. Everybody is probably asleep for the night. Keeping my fingers crossed this works out well. Any tips what to look for in the morning? I’m hoping the chicks bond to her & she to them. What should I do about the other non-broody girls in the flock? I have a brooder set up inside just in case.
I would go out FIRST THING in the morning - before dawn - and listen. You should hear mama clucking to the babies and the babies peeping and trolling happily. I usually spend an hour in the coop just after sticking them under her to make sure she doesn't attack them, but yours sounds like it went fine. In my opinion, silence is a bad sign.

I usually move my broodies prior to giving them chicks, but you can try moving g her or putting a partition around her. She should protect them, but I always separate just in case something goes sideways. Plus it frees up the nesting box.

This year, I gave 3 chicks to my 2 Silkies, who were sharing a box. I just set up a partition around them since there were 2 mamas. This is a terrible pic, but you can kinda see the wire panels I propped up around them. I moved them 2 days later to the grow out pen (aka the empty duck house that apparently wasn't good enough for my divas). It was under a poop board and around the gray plastic nest box.
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Any tips what to look for in the morning? I’m hoping the chicks bond to her & she to them.
It's probably too late to offer any help but I just look to see if they are still with her, not necessarily under her. If she isn't attacking them and they haven't retreated out of the nest things are probably good.

What should I do about the other non-broody girls in the flock? I have a brooder set up inside just in case.
I don't worry about the other hens. They have never been a problem that the broody could not manage. My coop is fairly large (8' x 12') and the other adults spend all day every day outside except when they are laying eggs. I have over 3,000 square feet outside. I'd be more concerned if the coop and run were so small the broody hen didn't have much room to work.

If that brooder is set up in the coop and you move the hen and chicks there make sure the chicks cannot escape the brooder and get where the other hens can get to them. Without the broody hen's protection they are in danger.
 
Hi! Thanks for chiming in. Still need help actually. It’s the next day and the broody hen will still NOT stop being broody! She seems to have accepted the chicks as they are not attacked and she clucks at them & allows them under her. The chicks stay relatively close to her, not necessarily under her but right by her wing getting the feed & water I set up in their half of the coop). There are zero eggs under the hen & she still insists on sitting! 😅😅😅 Here is a photo of them together eating some chick feed.
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It's probably too late to offer any help but I just look to see if they are still with her, not necessarily under her. If she isn't attacking them and they haven't retreated out of the nest things are probably good.


I don't worry about the other hens. They have never been a problem that the broody could not manage. My coop is fairly large (8' x 12') and the other adults spend all day every day outside except when they are laying eggs. I have over 3,000 square feet outside. I'd be more concerned if the coop and run were so small the broody hen didn't have much room to work.

If that brooder is set up in the coop and you move the hen and chicks there make sure the chicks cannot escape the brooder and get where the other hens can get to them. Without the broody hen's protection they are in danger.
 
Hi! Thanks for chiming in. Still need help actually. It’s the next day and the broody hen will still NOT stop being broody! She seems to have accepted the chicks as they are not attacked and she clucks at them & allows them under her. The chicks stay relatively close to her, not necessarily under her but right by her wing getting the feed & water I set up in their half of the coop). There are zero eggs under the hen & she still insists on sitting! 😅😅😅 Here is a photo of them together eating some chick feed.View attachment 3206862
She thinks those babies just hatched. She will sit until she thinks they are ready to come out of the nest. Looks like everything went well! Cute little family!
 
When she's ready she will take them off of the nest. Usually the chicks get hungry or thirsty and tell her so she leads them to food and water. Since you are providing it in the nest they aren't telling her she needs to lead them off. I don't see any problems at all.
 
Everyone is doing great so far! She’s accepted the chicks and they’ve accepted her! I had been so nervous since I read and heard a few horror stories before. Here’s the new family outdoors enjoying some dirt & weeds earlier today. She’s been a very gentle mom so far. My kids can actually come near to pet her & pet her chicks.
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oh no! Tragedy struck today. I’m not sure the cause but one of the chicks was found deceased in the coop. Could the mother potentially have trampled her? Plenty of space in thar section of the coop for all them but she was found close to a wall.
 

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