Will broody mom be mad if I give away a few chicks?

[BLaBauve]

My brahma hatched out 7 chicks - I really only want to keep 1, and was thinking of giving away 3 or 4 while they are still little and not sexed. Will this upset the momma if I give a few away?

 

[Kittymomma]

She'll flip out if you grab them during the day, but if you can take them after they've all gone to bed for the night it shouldn't be much of a problem.

 

[BLaBauve]

She'll notice them missing? She lets me hold them as much as I want during the day - does that make a difference?

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
That does make a difference. As long as you leave her a few and keep the process mellow you shouldn't have any problems. She might look around for them a bit, but will give up quickly and concentrate on her remaining chicks.

 

[pgpoultry]

My hens certainly can't count! They go from one egg to 10 or more and don't notice (They seem pleased with the fact that they have acquired such a large number without any effort on their part)

With chicks nigh time moving is better. The chicks don't tend to put out the 'distress call' so much and so momma won't be upset. It is probably better to leave her with 2 or 3 than just one as they CAN sense there is something different if a rowdy little group suddenly becomes one little cheeper.

Sandie

 

[oesdog]

I can honestly say my Hen CAN count!!!!!!!!
I have tried sneeking 2 chick in with her. She sure knows! And you can see her actually doing the head count before she realizes there are more than she started with!
Hope you have better luck taking them away than adding!

Do take care though to leave her with more than one! You would kind of have all your eggs in one basket! So have some in reserve incase something happens but also better for mum as someone already said.

Oesdog -

 

[pgpoultry]

Adding in is always more difficult than taking out.

Maybe momma hen knows the cheep or smell of her own chicks much like ewes with lambs know the baaa and the smell do (Now getting a ewe to take a lamb which she has not given birth to is on another plane of difficulty!)

Sandie