How to prepare for new baby chicks

[AussieHens96]

Tomorrow we will be picking up 3-4 new chicks tomorrow from a breeder, sexed and vaccinated. Our silkie, Penny, has been broody for almost 12 days now.

Now we are in the middle of an Aussie winter on the coast, the lowest it drops where we are, at night did drop to zero Celsius but generally sits at ten to fifteen degrees Celsius. She seems to sit firm all day. We've made the decision as the breeder we bought our chooks from before has, as of a few days ago, a new batch of 'day olds'.

With a good broody hen, will they be okay?

Also, with the food, as they are kept with the rest of the tiny flock, which are made up of pretty relaxed hens, as the silkie is actually the boss, will it be okay to have a small feeder in the roosting area for the chicks?

We were told they'd be fine as most of our chooks just free range so I don't think they'd be bothered. Will it do much harm if, in a few accidents that both accidentally ate the others food? So, for example, the hens accidental nibbled at the chick starter, visa versa?

What's the success like with hens in coldish weather, such as the temperatures explained above?

 

[Judy]

A broody will usually accept new chicks as her own, especially if they are a day or two old. but there is never a guarantee with chickens. I would slip them under her at night just after dark.

The only problem with feeds is when very young chicks eat layer food, because the extra calcium can cause serious organ damage. The mama will likely teach them to eat whatever she is eating. It is best to remove the layer feed entirely for this reason. There is no problem with older chickens eating most any feed, whether it's starter, grower, etc. Of course the laying hens will need a calcium supplement. You can simply make oyster shell available. Chicks do not usually bother oyster shell much if at all. You can even eat the eggs if you rlaing hens are eating chick feed medicated with amprolium. The amprolium almost entirely stays in the gut so doesn't get in the egg.

 

[chickenlver2013]

A broody will usually accept new chicks as her own, especially if they are a day or two old. but there is never a guarantee with chickens.  I would slip them under her at night just after dark.

The only problem with feeds is when very young chicks eat layer food, because the extra calcium can cause serious organ damage.  The mama will likely teach them to eat whatever she is eating.  It is best to remove the layer feed entirely for this reason.  There is no problem with older chickens eating most any feed, whether it's starter, grower, etc.  Of course the laying hens will need a calcium supplement.  You can simply make oyster shell available.  Chicks do not usually bother oyster shell much if at all.  You can even eat the eggs if you rlaing hens are eating chick feed medicated with amprolium.  The amprolium almost entirely stays in the gut so doesn't get in the egg.

x2 when you slip them under her at night, put broken eggshells under her. That helps when you swap eggs with chicks. So the hen will know they hatched I watched it on YouTube. It was a pretty neat idea.