Author Topic: Broody with only one chick - can I add more (Read 3215 times)

Jillyc · « **on:** May 30, 2012, 02:32:39 pm »

Hi - Can any one help??

I have a broody chicken, was sitting on 12 eggs - only one hatched out 6 days ago - and she has been sitting on the rest till today. Now she has decided enough is enough, and has given up sitting on the others!!

I also have 7 in an incubator due to hatch in 2 days time - so I was hoping mrs broody would keep sitting and i would introduce the incubator eggs tomorrow to hatch under her - but its not going to happen now. SO - is there any possibility i can put the incubator chicks under her one night so the little chick will have some friends - and the incubator chicks will have a proper mum - or will she reject them?

? And if so, when should i do it??

Many thanks for any suggestions, Jilly

Polished Arrow · « **Reply #1 on:** May 30, 2012, 02:47:34 pm »

Watching for replies to this with interest myself

Fowlman · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2012, 02:54:48 pm »

When mixing chicks you need to do it by size rather than age. She will be concentrating her efforts on the chick now so it maybe too late. You could give her the chicks once hatched and dried out from the incubator, always a gamble though as she may reject them. If she is a good broody she will happily take them on. Place the chicks under her in the morning so you can observe her and remove chicks if needed. Dont do it at night because if she rejects them they could be dead by morning depending on temps.

plt102 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2012, 04:38:34 pm »

I had to do it with a couple of her own chicks. she had gone broody in a high ish nest box. One chick hatched out a day early and fell out of the nest. She panicked and went down to protect it and left her other eggs. I found them pipping and finished them off in an incubator while i moved her to a more suitable next box and got her settled in. Waited until babies (x2) had a drink and had fully dried off then popped them under her wings. I think it was one day and one night later. She took to them fine. Watched her like a hawk thought. I must say, we tried to introduce her to some more, slightly older chicks from another mum a week later and she wouldn't take them so I think it is best to do it within the first day or two.

Sylvia · « **Reply #4 on:** May 30, 2012, 05:29:32 pm »

Put them under her in the dark, I'd be very surprised if she rejected them

chrismahon · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2012, 08:10:30 pm »

I would have thought you would be OK putting them in at night Jillyc. But there is always a risk of rejection. There is also a big difference in sizes but mummy should stop the squabbling. I assume all the remaining eggs were dead-in-the-shell and that's why they were abandoned?

goosepimple · « **Reply #6 on:** May 30, 2012, 08:38:21 pm »

Be careful Jillyc, we had a hen had 2 chicks and only a couple of hours later another hen who had had chicks a few hours before died (possibly dehydrated). I put the dead hens chicks with the other mum and her 2 and watched her for about half an hour - no problems, seemed to treat them like her own - went back an hour later and she had killed both. If she's not sitting on her nest any more and you stick them under her she may be wise to it. Think it would be better at night and she might forget overnight how many she has and be fine with it, but you will run the risk of the chicks being killed (it's a food competition thing as to why they kill them). Tricky situation, good luck. Let us know how you get on.

Fowlman · « **Reply #7 on:** May 30, 2012, 08:52:10 pm »

Day or night is a gamble but i prefer to do it in daylight so i can observe and intervene if needed. Done at night you do have a better a chance of her accepting them but and i say but if she rejects them you wont be there to do anything about it.

I have one reliable broody (Barbu D'anver) and she has hatched most of my current birds over the years, in fact she has a week old duckling with her at the moment. A bad broody should be noted and not used again as they dont all make good mums.