When/how do I move broody and babies?

[gritsar]

When my broody hatches her chicks Friday or sometime this week I need to accomplish two things - I need to add to her brood any chicks that hatch in the incubator (due to hatch the same day) and I need to move the new family to a large crate that will have more growing room than her current one.

When is the best time to move her, before the chicks hatch or after? I hesitant to move her before, especially since the poor girl has already been setting for more than 30 days (first on a bad batch of eggs, then on another). I'd hate to cause her to give up this late in the game.

Also, how do I move them? Do I put the bator chicks in the new crate and then move mama and her chicks? Or do I wait until after I've moved her and then add the bator chicks?

I know to try and accomplish all of this after dark, but any other advice would be most welcome.

 

[bufforp89]

When I move my broodys I always wait until they are done with the hatch, that way there is no chance of losing interest.

I added bator babies to a broody and her chicks just this past fall. Went really well, the bator babies were only a day or two older and I just put them in the broody cage, added the broody and chicks and she did the rest.

The bator babies were a little leery of her at first but considering she was the only heat source and there were 10 other identical chicks that were comfortable with her it was a very short time before they were under her.

I did every thing in the dark, at night after I put everyone up for the night.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

If she was mine - I would put the bator chicks under her, during or just after her clutch has hatched. Let mom and babies sleep, getting use to each others noises.


Then move the family the next day. Get a chair, open the crate and sit watching mom and chicks. That way I am there if anyone needs help - sometimes a chick will wander around the corner and peep it's lost peep and mom will be too busy with the others to scoot the lost chick back - that is what I am for

 

[gritsar]

Thanks y'all. Reading of your experiences helps me alot.

I'm gonna be a mess come Friday.