quickcluck Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 A farm near me is getting some day old chicks in that will be sexed as girls. We Don't hatch because of the worry of boys. If I had a broody at the time can I get her some to sit with? Do they have to be day olds or can that be a fews day? If so do I just seperate her with the chicks??? Thanks K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 The hen will need a separate dark and quiet coop with her own small chick proof run Ideally the chicks need to be hours old or a day old and even then there is no guarantee the hen will take them. Some hens will take them older though A few days back I had a hen kill chicks that were just a couple of hours old but on the flip side gave another hen some 8 day old chicks that were in a brooder where the fuse blew in the lamp, she already had 5 chicks but she was happy to take on the extra You will need a back up plan for if plan A fails, a simple brooder can be made from a cardboard box and an anglepoise lamp. you could then return the chicks to the supplier (if they will take them back) or keep them but a fallback brooder will give you time to think and the chicks safe and well If all goes to plan the hen will usually be happy to stay with the chicks for 6-8 weeks then will start to push them away. they then need to be kept separate from the others till they are at least 16 if not 18 weeks old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I'd remove the eggs from under the broody, and replace them with the chicks, one at a time, at night. If you can safely place the chicks where she can hear them cheeping for a while before hand, it will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I successfully added 2 less than day old chicks to a broody with a lone 4 day old chick a couple of weeks back the advice I was given was to put the chicks under the broody as soon as I got home (about 3 pm) and check after an hour as if she hadn't accepted them by then she probably wouldn't accept them at all. but she accepted them as soon as I put them under her and calmed down more or less in a couple of hours. she wasn't happy with a lone chick. I was also told that an experienced broody is more likely to accept chicks this way than a first timer Rebecca my no1 broody is an old hand at been a mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I had a pekin last year that only hatched one chick so the next day I went out and got her 2 more day olds went down the shed with the box as soon as I walked in she could hear them cheeping came over with her single baby I opened the box and said look what ive got for you she knew they were not hers but she was so happy she took them off me and ran over to the corner sat on them and then told me to do one very nice but she is an excellent mumma not saying you should do it this way but it still makes me chuckle now when I think about it leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Hmmmmm my 2 regular broodies have never been mummies before...... so may be it's not such a good idea as they may not know what to do!!! I have a pekin broody at the mo, and my cuckoo maran is the other cuprit. Perhaps another time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I have a first time mumma with 2 turkey poults never under estimate a pekin leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 I've 2 broody pekins now...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 If you are going to try it then a Pekin is your best bet. Large fowl are not as light footed with a first brood! I would separate the Pekins and try the chicks with one, if that doesnt work then try the other. Dont have the two Pekins together though or they could fight over the chicks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
