What time of day is best? chicks under broody hen

[frankenchick]

It's been 17 years since I put chicks under a broody hen. Does the time of day matter? I believe I waited until nightfall before.

 

[Pigeony]

It's been 17 years since I put chicks under a broody hen. Does the time of day matter? I believe I waited until nightfall before.

I usually do the wait till nightfall method, but it's not really about the broody but about the chicks. I've noticed when I put chicks out in the early morning or during the day, they're more likely to want to venture out from under her and I've had them wander away before completing the bonding process. If I put them out there at night, when chicks naturally want to sleep and stay in place, they stay under her until they get used to her and until she gets used to them. Usually by mid-morning, they've bonded and all's well. There is more risk as you can't observe how things are going as much at night and likely can't intervene immediately, but I think the benefits outweigh the risks, as long as you have a reliable broody who has been sitting close to full term.

 

[frankenchick]

The hen has been clamped down (not getting off the nest for food) for close to two weeks, and gets really aggressive when I’m near her. I think she’s ready.

I’ll keep the chicks with me until everyone roosts tonight. I’m thinking I’ll put a cover over them (allowing air, of course) to settle them before we go down to the coop.

Thanks for replying.

 

[K0k0shka]

I agree that it's better at night (or in the evening) so they have more quiet time together to bond. Especially if the chicks aren't freshly hatched, but a couple of days old already. Freshly hatched chicks will stay under her all day even if it's not dark outside, but at a couple of days they want to get out and explore, and can compromise the bonding if they wander away, because the hen will treat them as freshly hatched and will want them to stay under, and can peck them and hurt them in her efforts to stop them from coming out.

Another thing to be careful with is to make sure the hen doesn't actually see the chicks at first, but to feel them underneath her first, to mimic them hatching. I have found that hens may react negatively if they see the chick before you put it under - it's like it's an intruder - but if they don't see it until they feel it moving underneath, the maternal instincts kick in. Even my reliable broody, who has raised 4 broods for me so far and is awesome, will peck the chick and growl if she sees it as I place it under her. So I cup my hand around the chick, hiding it from view, as I put it under the hen, so she can't see. Once she feels them moving under her, you can see her demeanor change - she drops her wings down and starts talking softly to the chicks, fully in mama mode.