When can I intro new peeps to my barred hen?

[PersimmonPatch]

Hello All,

My son's school is raising chicks from the local university's poultry center. We went and picked out the lovlies today (well, the eggs anyhow)! I will be bringing home about 3 of the chicks. I have an adult barred hen who is like a pet and who spends much of her time sleeping with our outdoor dog (an austrailian shep). When can I intro the baby peeps to my barred hen??

Thanks!

 

[Opa]

I wouldn't put them together until they are approximately the same size.

 

[bock]

Is your hen broody? If she is not she will brutally murder those babies, please don't make that mistake!

 

[Opa]

misplace post

 

[bock]

Quote:
UM, what does this have to do with chicks?

 

[halfpint512]

Do not make the same newbie mistake I made by putting some Polish juvies in with my egg laying sex-links. The juvies had bloody featherless butts! I actually had to sell my Polish and will not attempt to integrate juvies in again with my flock. I will make sure they are all the same size!!

 

[okieglory]

wait till their about the same size, be careful.

 

[PersimmonPatch]

When we went to pick up the eggs, we saw a hen who had "adopted" several types of chicks. Does this mean that the hen raised them from eggs, versus adopting chicks?

My hen lays about every other day. Could she potentially hatch the eggs? They are in the incubator at school now.

She has always seemed very gentle. I hope that she will accept the chicks/hens at some point.

We were given 3 Araucana eggs. I'm excited about those. The rest are barred, buffs, and reds.

 

[Opa]

While I have never done it, I have heard of people who have sucessfully introduced newly hatched chicks to a broody hen. The chicks are placed under the hen at night and the theory is that she will think that they are hers. Sometimes this works and at other times the hen will abandon or kill them, sometimes several days after the introduction. If you try it keep a very close eye on the situation.

 

[PersimmonPatch]

Thanks everyone for the input. I think I'll keep these separate from the adult hen when they come to us. There will be about 3. Perhaps in the future I can check into our hen adopting some chicks of her own. I'll ask the folks at the poultry center how they do it.