Soo...Yeah, Failed Plan

[ChickaChickaChooCho000]

Hello chicken lovers, so this was my very first time ordering chicks online. I bought them from MyPetChicken.com. Got myself a Speckled Sussex, Blue Laced red Wyandotte, silver Laced Wyandotte and Plymouth Barred Rock. It went perfectly well, and I didn’t even have to go to the post office. They didn’t call me haha... I set up those early alarms for nothing... but luckily they brought the chicks to my home pretty early and it was 9:30am when they arrived at my doorstep. I just had notifications that told me when they were getting shipped and yatta yatta. I was expecting a dead chick but as soon as I opened the box, there were 4 robust and energetic little chickies! This is also my first time getting slightly fancier feathered chickens so I was excited. The PLAN I’m talking about is that my White hen was hatching eggs and her eggs were dying left and right because they were pretty small babies and eggs. She was just the surrogate mother for other hens. Started with 13 and ended with 3 healthy mixed chicks. The part where I messed up is that they are smaller breed chickens and the chicks that arrived are slightly bigger and the mother hen took awhile to even let the black chicks go under her. Eventually she did let them sit under her for a good 2 hours. THEN, that’s when everything started going south. She began pecking the little chickies heads, I was watching the whole time so I stopped her before she ever actually did any worse harm. even the Speckled Sussex she didn’t accept, and it looks nearly identical to her clutch of chicks. The chicks were mainly junglefowl/game bird chicks, one mixed with my Henny(orange hen). Sadly this bad attempt in trying to get her to adopt these chicks failed MISERABLY.... Now I will just have to raise them myself for 1-2 months before going through out into free range and the coop. Welp, wish me luck! First time for everything right?

 

[bigz1983]

We put the chicks under the hens at night.
Usually it works.
Sometimes it doesn't..

 

[rosemarythyme]

Just glad you were ready to raise these yourself since the hen didn't take them.

 

[ChickaChickaChooCho000]

Just glad you were ready to raise these yourself since the hen didn't take them.

We had another broody hen but she also didn’t accept them, maybe because she hadn’t been setting for too long yet, only a few days. So yeah, it’ll be a good thing I’m raising them myself I guess. Just so they’ll be less flighty at most and will enjoy human company, and eat from my hand and won’t mind being handled. So far the two Wyandotte’s are super robust, curious and friendly! The Sussex and barred rock are just under the thermo-brooder sleeping most of the time and will come out to play and eat every once in awhile, the Hen seemed to dislike and peck them the most(Sussex/barredrock) so I understand why they’ve just been a little wary. They don’t have any injuries but she kept going for them most so they could’ve been a little traumatized. I was there to de-escalate the serious pecking but in the end, she chose to accept none but her “own.” This was kind of an impulse purchase, but I’m still determined to raise them up well altogether! I didn’t mind buying 4-6 week old pullets BUT the BLR-Wyandotte is a hard find with the other 3 I wanted, this was one of my only chances to actually buy one on such short notice and in a small chick order. And so I did. I may regret it, I may not. We’ll see ...

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I have found a sure-fire way to ensure broodies adopt feedstore/hatchery chicks. That includes broodies who rejected feedstore chicks, & even with a hen who previously began to kill chicks she didnt hatch herself.

Step 1 is to make sure the broody is hatching her own chicks. (You did that).

Step 2 is to place the adoptee chicks in with mama and her own NEWLY hatched chicks, at night in pitch black darkness, behind and under her tail, so they have all night to snuggle with her own chicks. Add the adoptee chicks after the broodys own final chick has finished hatching. Wait til all her chicks have hatched since the feedstore/hatchery chicks will need to eat and drink the next morn. And once all the broodys own chicks have hatched, she will bring them ALL out of the nest box the next morn.

But the whole key is, give her the adoptee chicks BEFORE she ever takes her chicks out of the hatching box for the first time. Once she sees and accepts her own chicks, many broodies will reject any "intruders."

 

[ChickaChickaChooCho000]

I have found a sure-fire way to ensure broodies adopt feedstore/hatchery chicks. That includes broodies who rejected feedstore chicks, & even with a hen who previously began to kill chicks she didnt hatch herself.

Step 1 is to make sure the broody is hatching her own chicks. (You did that).

Step 2 is to place the adoptee chicks in with mama and her own NEWLY hatched chicks, at night in pitch black darkness, behind and under her tail, so they have all night to snuggle with her own chicks. Add the adoptee chicks after the broodys own final chick has finished hatching. Wait til all her chicks have hatched since the feedstore/hatchery chicks will need to eat and drink the next morn. And once all the broodys own chicks have hatched, she will bring them ALL out of the nest box the next morn.

But the whole key is, give her the adoptee chicks BEFORE she ever takes her chicks out of the hatching box for the first time. Once she sees and accepts her own chicks, many broodies will reject any "intruders."

Yeah my problem was that they arrived later than the chicks’ hatch date. it was 2 days too late. Its okay, she is a good mother to her chicks, but sadly she just didn’t want anymore ... I appreciate the tip for future use though! Thanks.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Tis the rare broody that will accept additional chicks. I've only had a Silkie and (super recently) an Australorp do it. I was so endeared by the latter taking all 21 survivors (4 of one group of 10 met with misfortune) of my most recent broody fostering attempt that I dubbed her Pancake if you get it, you get it

 

[ChickaChickaChooCho000]

Sad News for the chickies ... the robust little Silver Laced Wyandotte passed away tonight around 11Pm-12am. It died at the corner, I was SOOO wishing it was just sleeping, but it had slimy mucus from its beak and I knew something bad happened.. As I held it, I saw a chicken lice.. that could’ve been the reason. Checked the vent if it died of pasty butt, nope, but then saw another lice crawl around the vent. ... I feel so bad for letting that chick die so young .. So I cleaned and made a new brooder box and cleaned everything. Rubbed Diatemetious Earth on all of them and all over the brooder wood shavings. So sad, I was really hoping to see it grow up along with it’s friends. Maybe the White hen passed it onto these cuties... I’ll have to clean her up too, and the rest of the flock.

 

[ChickaChickaChooCho000]

Update on the 3 chicks I ordered: The BLRW, Barred Rock And Speckled Sussex.
They’ve just hit their 4 week mark today. Their hatch day was June 14th, delivered to me the 15th. Now these 3 love the outside, and mind their own business. The bigger ladies don’t really attack them, just the occasional confused light peck on the head or back. Nothing severe, it’s probably because the other hens have chicks of their own so the single lady hens don’t mess with the chicks too much. I’ve just gotta say, many reviews about the BLRW from MyPetChicken, a lot of people were usually disappointed in the colorations, but I’m really glad I got what I wanted. I kinda wanted a splash Laced red Wyandotte and it seems it’s getting brighter colors like I hoped. They’re so cute haha! Hey also love following me around when I’m outside. A plus is that my dogs are good with them.

btw the chicks were at 3 weeks at the time, just in case ya wondered why they have such slow feathering.

 

[ChickaChickaChooCho000]

Shoot I never updated their life after their 2 weeks. My bad Anyways they are doing great. They’ve begun laying a month or two ago but I still haven’t seen it for myself I just know they are since I get many eggs a day. They’ve really integrated well with the big flock of birds who once bullied them a bit, now they’re in the middle of the hierarchy and are pretty tough I must say, especially Snowflake(Sussex), she fights the newcomers, while Lacy(Wyandotte) would stand up to my most dogs who try to take a nibble of their food . And Rocky(Barred Rock) is just a mellow little gal. They are still the special trio! These ladies are getting close to 9 months! It’s crazy how fast time flies!

The other two different pullets in the photos are ones that hatched under my broody hens around the same month. Those group photos with the other pullets are the most current from today 3/5/22 and the individual photos of them were from when they were 5 months. I’ll show some better current photos this week. Their combs are a bit frozen but they’re doing just fine in this crazy Minnesota weather ... Spring will be something new for them, since all of the chickens are gonna be full grown and lookin beautiful! Man, chickens can be sooo expensive.... TAKE my money anyways