What would happen if?

[nuttyredhead]

I am trying this tonight. My girl has been broody for 5 weeks (and on bad eggs.). GOing to pick up a few babies in a few minutes!!! SO EXCITED!

 

[Judy]

I've done this and it worked just fine. I didn't even wait til night to slip them under her, though next time I would (didn't know better) just to be safe. I've also added a couple of feed store chicks successfully, when she already had chicks.

 

[pixiedouglas]

I've got a friend who did this with a broody silkie and she took to them right off, but I've heard silkies are very motherly that way. I'd love to hear it works out with your BO and EE, if mine go broody next year I might be tempted to try it.

 

[nuttyredhead]

So far so good for mine! I slipped them under her, it was dark in the coop. She settled right down. My daughter and i will be down there before first light to check on them!! I imagine she will think they hatched!

 

[speakup4kids]

oops sorry, I didn't even see that you had asked a question. My hens that are currently co-parenting my chicks are a serama, cochin, and 2 sizzles. I bought 6 chicks, (1 died the first night) and put them in immediately. Two of them are EE's (I think) and the other 3 are bantams. I originally split up the chicks and gave each hen a couple but by the next morning they were all together in a big pile. Last night it was raining and i went out to check on them and found all four hens squashed into one nesting box with the five chicks somehow either under or between them.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

That sounds adorable! This would be SO much easier than spending months brooding the chicks and then choreographing the flock integration. My EE sits in the nest all morning on a golf ball, so I have to think she would be thrilled to have some little ones to mother...

 

[pdsavage]

If your hens go broody in June then yes you can try slipping them under the hens at night.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

NuttyRedHead - how are things going with your babies?