UPDATE on super-broody hen...

[JestersEye]

Okay, here's the situation...

I have had some TERRIBLE luck with all my attempts to hatch eggs to satisfy a severely broody hen! I've incubated eggs, as well as leaving some under her... but still have nothing to show for it. The last attempt was using hatching eggs purchased on eBay (from a BYC user), but most of the eggs remained totally clear. At first I had assumed them to be unfertilized, but perhaps they just got scrambled in the mail. In any case, the few that developed were finished off only days before hatching due to a prolonged power outage in my area (even though I attempted to save them by placing them under the broody). The chicks were fully formed, but never pipped. (The humidity might have been off because the air cells looked a bit larger than normal.)

I can't believe how hard it's been to get even a few chicks for this hen!

She's been sitting in the nest box since December 8th and shows no signs of stopping until she becomes a mom. I brought her in the house after her first attempt failed, just so I could make sure she eats enough and doesn't have to expend extra energy to stay warm. (She's a light Blue Orp named Sky, btw.)

Is there anyone in the South Jersey area who is incubating eggs or has any just-hatched or about-to-hatch chicks that my hen can foster? You can even have them back once they're older, since I only really want chickens of the breeds I currently own. I HAVE to get some babies for this hen, and I'd hate to make her wait all over again for another three weeks of incubating! If you can help me in any way, please post here or send a PM or email. I really appreciate any help I can get for my extremely dedicated broody!

 

[JestersEye]

Is there NO ONE in or near South Jersey with new chicks or incubating eggs???

I hope my hen will accept day old chicks if I place a small order with Meyer Hatchery...

 

[JestersEye]

Does anyone have experience getting a broody to take in some mail-order chicks?

What are the chances that she will accept them as her own???

 

[FortWorthChicks]

Wish I could help ya. I have heard of hens adopting mail order chicks fine... as well as hens attacking them. She sure sounds like a good momma. Maybe just slip some day old chicks under her. ? Bump.

 

[little_grey_bantam]

My deal with broodies is that they NEVER want to sit on the Black Copper Marans eggs... they want to sit on the cheapies...

What I do is let her sit on the eggs for a few days, get some day old chicks and pop them underneath her (if they hatch out, that's when I add chicks). My hens tend to take very well to "adoptees" as long as she thinks they're hers!

I've had people give me broodies, because they had so much trouble and I fixed it by doing that for the hens

Day old chicks work best since they follow mom, having the babies (one or two) hatch out first, shows the others that this is MOM!

 

[DutchChicky]

hi there
You PMmed me , because i live in NJ.
Sadley enough I can't help you. We have no chicks yet!
Even though my daughter keeps asking for some. It's just been too cold!
I'll ask around if any of my friends have chicks yet, but am afraid nobody is hatching yet.
I've had good results with hen's accepting chicks as their own, even though hatched out of my bator.
If you can order some and have them shipped ASAP that would be great.
The only thing again is the cold. Not many people will ship to us around this time because the hazard of them not making it.
The chicks probably won't survive this cold if any delay's happen in shipping. Have worked as a mail carrier myself and know a lot can go wrong.
She needs to get off being Broody though, it's been to long, they don't eat and drink well when they sit and brood. Some starve themself.
Do you have a warm spot to put her if you get chicks, again Mom should NOT be able to take them outside, because the'll die and she won't realize it.
Can you put her on concrete somewhere to get her out of her broodiness?
E-mail me your number and I'll call around and can call you to see if anybody around here has chicks yet.
Good luck
Michella

 

[hunt4meat]

Quote:
I had a broody hen lastyear. I got some eggs froma buddy and put a full doen under her, and she did fine with it. She got up when she needed to and now I have 7 fulls ized chickens (5 hens and 2 roos) running around the back yard laying eggs and crowing thier bloody heads off at 3:30am. (wouldn't trade it though)

 

[Feather Dust]

I'm sorry but I have never done this. And I don't have any chicks at the moment either. I'm planning in the spring to incubate. I hope you can figure this out!
Good luck!
~Feather Dust

 

[little_grey_bantam]

Quote:
I had a broody hen lastyear. I got some eggs froma buddy and put a full doen under her, and she did fine with it. She got up when she needed to and now I have 7 fulls ized chickens (5 hens and 2 roos) running around the back yard laying eggs and crowing thier bloody heads off at 3:30am. (wouldn't trade it though)

Haha, that just made me laugh

I'm sure my BF and his family can surely chip in.... the "crowing their bloody heads off at 3:30 am part" LOL

 

[lemurchaser]

Check your local craigslist, and maybe post in the farm and garden section about what you need.

I looked up the south jersey craigslist and searched chicks and here's what's available:
http://southjersey.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=chicks&catAbbreviation=sss&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max