Introducing young/day old chicks and need advice please

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Pretty Chick

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If I buy young/day old chicks from a local breeder, will the chicks immediately accept my broody hen as their new mum? Will my broody accept the chicks?

I have never bought day old chicks before (I have only hatched 1 called Joe who is my avatar) and will appreciate any advice on introducing young chicks.

Many thanks  :)
« Last Edit: May 26, 2010, 20:02 by Pretty Chick »
All lives are precious.

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cluckingnuts

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Re: Introducing young/day old chicks and need advice please
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2010, 20:09 »
Chicks will go to warmth, it's wil the broody accept the chicks.

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bluecharlie

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Re: Introducing young/day old chicks and need advice please
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2010, 21:17 »
Hi,i was in the same position last year,i had a fiercly broody silkie,so for all the best reasons i bought some day old chicks thinking she will accept them if i quietly slip them under her when her own eggs would be hatching,if she had any, and to my horror she attacked them,it was awful,so i will never try that again,
not sure if this is a typical reaction,but good luck what ever you try

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Casey76

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Re: Introducing young/day old chicks and need advice please
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2010, 22:03 »
I've just slipped 3 1 day old chicks under my broody as her eggs were duds.  She wasn't very impressed at first, but within a few minutes they were all snuggled under her breast and wing feathers.

Hopefully overnight she will bond with them *fingers crossed*

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Kym503

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Re: Introducing young/day old chicks and need advice please
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2010, 23:34 »
I think it depends on your broody hen.  I've done it successfully with one old hen and raised several chicks.  I tried last week with a hen (mistaken identity on my part....I thought it was my old tried and trusted one!).  She attacked them on day 2.

From my (limited experience)  Place the box containing the chicks near the broody so she can hear thembut not see them.  Apparently you can hear chicks cheeping in the eggs before they hatch for up to 24 hours.)  Place the chicks under her under darkness and leave her alone.  As long as she has been sitting for 2 weeks it should be OK.  However having said that my last attempt ended up with her sitting on them for the night but attacking them when they moved in the morning.   took them away and have them under infra red lamps but will try again this weekend.  They will be 6 days old by then but since taking the chicks away she has  continued to sit firmly.  I'm actually keeping them all well away from teh others this time .  I'll let you know how we get on second time around!

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Pretty Chick

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Re: Introducing young/day old chicks and need advice please
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2010, 16:47 »
Thank you very much everyone  :)

My broody is over 3 years old and a very docile girl, so I think she'll be okay if I buy her some chicks to look after.

Thanks again for all your help  :happy:

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francais

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Re: Introducing young/day old chicks and need advice please
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2010, 21:56 »
I tried putting two day olds under a broody - she would not have them at any price! They ended up living in the front room under a lamp so it might be worth having a back up plan - (mine was only a plastic storage box lined with kitchen paper & two jam jar lids for water and chick crumb and a clip on ordinary desk lamp for heat).

Toni

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Pretty Chick

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Re: Introducing young/day old chicks and need advice please
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2010, 07:03 »
Good idea francais. I've a desk lamp and plastic boxes, so I'll have them at the ready!


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