Whoop! I pulled off the 'sneak-a-chick' trick!!

[SunnyCalifornia]

My beautiful Australorp hen went broody for the first time, sitting on some OEGB eggs for me. She was so focused on those eggs, she refused to get out of the nest to eat, drink, or stretch. After two weeks, she was not looking well. I brought her in the house, off the eggs, and for two days tried to pump her up with food and liquids.

Day 3, I put her back with the flock and she went immediately to the nest to sit some more.

. I decided to try to sneak some chicks under her in the middle of the night, but the only ones I could find were over 1 week old!!! I took the chance, worrying about what I'd find in the morning...

It worked!!! Mama broody is happy, content, eating, drinking and caring for her two babies.

She looks SOOO much better than she did a few days ago, and the babies are happy, healthy, and loving mama hen. She stays very close to them, clucks softly, and watches carefully. It is really adorable.

 

[chickenbythesea]

very sweet... so great that you were able to get them switched.

 

[Chick15]

awwww... the pics are so sweet

 

[allieloveschickens]

that is too cute!

 

[galanie]

I just love seeing chicks with their mom

Next time she goes broody, do what I learned to do: Pull her butt off that nest for a few minutes each morning and don't let her back on it till she's had at least a drink and a poo.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Aaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww! That's so cute!

I have six Australorps almost old enough to lay and I am so excited to hopefully be able to have a broody to hatch chicks the natural way next spring. So many of the "modern" hens don't go broody, so I have on order some speckled Sussex and buff orpingtons just in case the Aussies don't go broody, but your beautiful broody hen gives me hope.

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

Quote:
Yes! This was my first broody, so it was a learning curve for me too! I'll definitely do that with my next broody. Thanks for the tip!

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

Quote:
My layers are just hatchery bred (feed store bought). She is about 16 months old, and is the first of all my hens to go broody. I have Aussies, Orps, Delaware, Wyandotte, and then some SQ Old English Games all between the ages of 10-16 ,months old, all great broody breeds, and I've been waiting a while!! Funny thing, I have been waiting for broodies for so long, that I finally borrowed an incubator from a wonderful BYC'er to hatch some banty eggs, and then two days later, my Gisele goes broody!! LOL. She's way to big to raise OEGB and Serama though, even if I had let her finish sitting on those eggs. Those little chicks are Australorps too. I was so happy to find them!

I'm so glad I didn't wake up to a massacre. I would have felt horrible. I knew though, that was a risk going in. My kids sent me out into the coop first the next morning..... I had 10 fingers and 10 toes crossed that those cute babies were okay. What a relief!