Will a single button quil hen take care of baby chicks from incubator??

[Pumpkan]

I have a third hen who is just now getting picked on by the male that was with her ??? I have eggs in the icubator ready to hatch this week 5-6 if they all hatch, and I was wondering instead of getting her a new home will she take care of the baby chicks after they hatch, If I put her in with them??

 

[jbobs]

I would say the chances of that are slim. Unless she hatches them herself she will likely ignore them or even attack them. Sometimes with chickens i know you can sneak more babies under a hen that has some already or if the hen is really broody she'll take them but with buttons i wouldn't try it.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

yea i'm with jbobs on this one. Most likely she will attack them. I have a button that went broody and she hatched out a coturnix chick the other day, she is being great with him, but i wouldn't even risk adding another chick in there.

 

[TheWeeBee]

Is there any way you could switch out the eggs a few days before they're about to hatch and see if she'll sit on them? As long as a chick hatches under her, she should accept it as her own. Remove any males and other hens you may have in there with her. Try one egg and see if she'll brood.

 

[Pumpkan]

She lays her own eggs but never sits on them so if I take one out of the incubator for her to sit on it will probably just die.......