What are the chances this would turn out well?...

[macmama]

So I have 3 Buff Orps that are laying, and 2 Barred Rocks that should start soon. One of my Orps went broody 4 days ago, and she shows no sign of giving up. I have to throw her out for her even to eat/drink/poop. At first I thought I'd break her broodiness, but then someone mentioned that the 100 degree weather we'll have here starting next week would be perfect for hatching chicks... so I started wondering.

What are the chances that this wouldn't be a total disaster? I can get fertile silver-laced Wyandotte eggs in my neighborhood, so I'd give her some of those. This is her first time being broody, and she is only 7 months old-- plus I don't have an incubator if she quits, AND I can't separate her and the chicks if she manages to hatch them. So do you think we could have a happy outcome with a first-time mom and chicks being raised with 4 other adult hens? My girls are fenced on the side of my house (about 15' by 25') if that helps. Thanks in advance!

 

[sunket77]

I am not sure about the mixing her with the other chickens but if she is a good broody then she won't give up.... I had one like that that would not get off the nest and she kept pooping BIG BROODY POOP on her eggs... I would clean it up the best I could and all the eggs hatched (13 out of 14!) so I just made it a point in the late afternoon to go move her off the nest so she could poop!

 

[macmama]

okay... well I did it. I gave her 6 silver-laced eggs, and she rolled and tucked them underneath her while fluffing and growling at me to stay away. She hasn't gotten up even ONCE today, so I'm going to kick her off soon in hopes that she'll eat and drink. I moved her and the nestbox to the corner of our side yard and made her her own little lean-to with old boards so she'd stay shady. The other ladies got new nestboxes, and maybe I can put up a temporary fence to divide the run in half if the chicks end up hatching. Here's hoping! :fingerscrossed:

 

[FiveHens]

Good luck!

 

[calicokat]

It sounds like your chances are pretty darn good! I too have a first time broody, we're on day 13 (gee, I thought it was day 15 - man it goes slow when you're waiting on babies!!)

I make sure to take her off the nest each evening and let her run a bit, then after about 10 minutes, I chase her down and put her back 'till tomorrow (she's in a dog crate so no one can get to her.)

You'll have great fun with this adventure

 

[loopy12]

Sounds good to me too. How she would do raising chicks with the other hens around depends partly on how aggressive she is as a mom and how high up she is in the hen hierarchy. My broody is top chicken so she's just fine raising her chicks in with the others. I keep them separate for about 2 days so they find their feet then they go off free ranging with mom and the other hens. First few days the broody screams and fluffs up like a turkey if the others come near, after that the other hens just accept them and ignore them.
Good luck - nothing like a seeing a broody with a line of fluffy happy chicks behind her

 

[macmama]

Luckily she is #1 (or tied for #1) in the pecking order. My girls are pretty gentle-- they didn't even bother the 9 week old Barred Rocks I put in with them 2 months ago. (well they chased them a bit, but didn't peck them or anything)
I did buy some chicken wire so I can separate her now. The other hens keep crowding in on top of her and laying their eggs with hers even though I moved her and her nestbox away from the coop. On the bright side she's been a very dedicated mama. I haven't seen her leave the box even once without being forcibly removed by me. I really hope we get some babies! (she's so dedicated that even if the eggs don't hatch I'm going to buy baby chicks at the feed store to sneak under her) 19 days to go...