[Thingy]

I went down to the hen house today to collect the eggs and EGAD, I had a broody hen

As a behaviourist I can see immediate benefits for my chicks in the incubator to be raised by Red, the broody hen, as she is top hen. Any chicks she has will recieve immediate high rankings, the best food, protection etc. etc.

But my chicks are due tomorrow (Pre hatch jitters setting in again) and my hen only went broody today. If they hatch tomorrow, which seems unlikely at the moment but still, is it too soon to introduce them to her, or will she be like 'Ok this is slightly weird, but ya know, I will go with it'

:/

Any help would be appriciated ...and I can't spell apparently :/

[darkbrowneggs]

It depends on the broody.  Each hen is an individual.  I have found that if they have just gone broody they sometimes give up after a day or two, and also somehow they seem to sit down too tight on the first day or so, and if the chicks are small or weak they can be crushed.

But often it just goes fine.  My last broody was given 6 chicks, and a few more came off a day or two later, and she took those as well and reared the lot, but they were all Cuckoo Marans, I don't think that would work if they looked different.

Make sure you give them her after dark, snuggle them up against her and they should pop under, and if she likes them she will shuffle down a bit and talk to them.  Make sure you keep them protected as you put them in so she doesn't peck them.  There is a page about it all on my site if you want to check it out.

All the best
Sue

[joyfull]

One of my broodies - a silkie cross - accepted 9 abandoned chicks (day olds)which looked nothing like her as they are araucanas, but I knew her to be a good broody (too good as she is permanantly broody  ). All I can say is try them but make sure you have a brooder box set up and the heat lamp ready just in case it doesn't wor.k

[Thingy]

My hen's an ex batt I have had for years now so your normal brown chicken. She was sat on one egg...and it wasn't even hers ^^

Should I wait to introduce them then untill I know she is serious about being a mum . I just candled them (I always do before hatch day) and no signs of beaks in air-sacs so I dnt think they are hatching tomorrow

I will look at your site, Thank you


I have a brooder alll set up and all my chicks have been turfed out of it. Its all set

[joyfull]

If she is still sat tight then when you are sure no more will hatch and they are all dried and fluffed up then you could try. I just placed mine one at a time next to my broody and watched her allow them underneath her and carefully removed the eggs from under her.

[Thingy]

ah ok that might work.

If not I have another Girl, the grandmother of the flock, that despratly wants babies. She tried to sit on Reds eggs but Red was having none of it.

Another question if I may, I just candled my eggs, and they were fine at day 14, but now two of them have a dark mass as usualy, but no blood vessels that I can see and none of them are moving. Whats going on there . Are the chicks dead