How to introduce baby chicks to broody hen

[Mcook512]

I have had a broody speckled Sussex for 3 weeks. We tried to break her, but she broke us and I went and got her babies today. I may have goobered up and showed them to her when I got home. Of course, I had visions of the perfect scenario, where she is so thrilled to have babies, she coos and is so thankful. In reality, she was TERRIFIED of them. Is it now too late to try again tonight? I know I should have waited until night anyways. Am I now the proud momma to 4 baby chicks?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm so sorry you stumbled into the harsh reality that fostering chicks is not always as simple as you would think. It is trickier with a first time mother, but you can try again in the cover of night. She may have been disturbed more because you disrupted her nest as much as alarmed by the chicks. We need her settled in her nest while you quietly introduce the chicks.

Be aware there is some risk with fostering. If failure is not an option, then place them in a brooder now. However, with some careful attempts, you may be able to successfully pull this off.

First eye dropper every chick with chick electrolytes several times today so that they are well loaded with nutrients and fluids to help with transition stress.

Next BEFORE PLACING THE CHICKS TONIGHT, place food and water close to your broody's nest, but not so they can be tipped into the nest. Put up some sort of barrier if there isn't one. You will actually need to barricade the broody and the chicks, with food and water, into an enclosure for the first day or so while they bond.

Then, TONIGHT, after dark, calmly go to the broody box in darkness. Gently place each chick, one at a time, under her tail working away from her, so she can't see the chick. Work as much as possible without her seeing you. Avoid anything that is close to her face or shift her from her nest. Avoid anything that makes her feel threatened off her nest. Let her settle. Leave an egg or two from the nest so that it "feels" similar. Watch to see how jumpy she is. Some first time mothers are really not sure about the whole ordeal, and all the wiggling going on down under, but settle into the idea in the darkness and then are bonded by the light of day. If all is settled, which it usually is, quietly leave. If possible check later that night in a way that does not disturb the hen or nest. Resist the temptation to lift the hen to see the chicks.

Now the test...Check first light of day, or early in the morning. That's when things will show if they have gone awry. (Sadly you could find a dead chick from rejection cold). Try not to disturb the hen in daylight but peep in to see how things are going. If you hear peeps from under her, and she is settled, quietly leave. Check several hours later. Ditto. Check again later. Momma usually sits 24 hours with the newly hatched chicks before getting up to take them to food and water (which is why you loaded them up with electrolytes/vitamins for transition).

The next day, you will need to check to see if momma is taking them to food and water and has bonded. If there are no signs that she is budging from the nest and seems disturbed when chicks emerge, then remove the chicks.

If things don't go well, then yes, you will have to take and brood these chicks in the house. You will recognize failure when upon a check you see disturbed chicks peeping in a corner away from the hen, or the hen refuses to budge from the nest after 24 hours and the babes are too confused to go to food and water on their own, or the hen attacks them when they try.

Good luck
LofMc