New chicks! How to put under hen that's never warmed up to people?

[mmeqcenter]

We’ve just hatched three baby chicks between 3a-8a this morning. I have a hen that has been broody for a couple weeks, and I am hoping to give her the chicks to raise because I also have eight goose eggs that should be hatching this week.

However, the broody hen we bought as an adult from an auction, and she’s never really warmed up to us. She typically runs away if we go in the coop while she’s brooding, although yesterday she did stay put when my husband put in more bedding and filled the water. How do we then give her the chicks? Is it just not possible? This is our first time hatching chicks Gracias for any help!

[Simkie]

At night. When she’s sleeping!

[mmeqcenter]

In the coop with the whole flock? Or do we have to somehow separate her?

[Simkie]

Depends on your flock and set up, but moving broody hens often breaks the brooding. If you really want her to raise these chicks, slip them under her at night in your current set up, but know it might not go well. Broody hens are usually pretty good at protecting their babies, but not always.

In the future, if you want a broody hen to raise baby chicks for you, get her established brooding in a space you know is safe for baby chicks first.

They also have an internal clock, so if she hasn’t been sitting for three weeks or close to it, she may not accept chicks despite being broody.

An unfriendly hen raising chicks will also make unfriendly chickens, so keep that in mind, too! Even friendly birds raising chicks doesn’t make for terribly friendly chickens

But it certainly is sooooo much easier having the hen raise bitties vs having them inside!

[mmeqcenter]

Awesome thank you! Yeah, we kind of went about this pretty haphazardly, but we got a stellar deal on the goose eggs out of nowhere, and then my husband really wanted to put in a couple of our chicken eggs too just to see if they’d hatch We’ll try to put them with her in the normal coop tonight, and if that doesn’t go well, they’ll just be human raised with some goslings! The goslings are due any day now.

Not super concerned about friendly chickens, luckily. The chickens are here for utility, I’m not a huge fan. As long as they learn the routine, that’s all we need. I got the goose eggs to try to get a gosling that loves me hahaha

[Simkie]

@mmeqcenter

We’ll try to put them with her in the normal coop tonight, and if that doesn’t go well, they’ll just be human raised with some goslings! The goslings are due any day now.

“Not going well” very likely means they don’t survive. Chickens are pretty brutal if they’re going after chicks. If you’re raising your goslings inside, I’d just keep these chicks inside too

[mmeqcenter]

Oh okay, food for thought, I shall discuss with husband, thank you for your help!

[mmeqcenter]

Five baby chicks now (all staying inside)! This more than I bargained for One gosling hatched just an hour ago, don’t see any pipping on the other seven yet. This will be an interesting journey! I don’t think I’ll hatch anymore eggs until summer, though, so they can stay in our small baby coop on the back porch instead of my office.

[Simkie]

So fun!!! We need pics

[mmeqcenter]

IMG_9700

[mmeqcenter]

IMG_9702

[Simkie]

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

So cute!!

[mmeqcenter]

Photos are hard with little wiggly booties

[dacasodivine]

Slipping them under a hen at night is the easiest way.

However, I once brought some chicks home from the feed store. I decided to see if a hen would claim them. I gave the box a little shake. Not hard, just enough to get the chicks cheeping. One hen puffed up and came running over. I carefully poured the chicks out. She gathered them up and ushered them off, all while giving me really dirty looks.

She wasn’t even broody at the time. LOL

I unfortunately can’t let hens raise chicks any more. My coop isn’t snake proof and chicks one by one disappear.

[mmeqcenter]

Aww that’s sad, dang snakes!

Hilarious about that hen though. Absolutely adorable

[mmeqcenter]

Two fluffy baby geese. Third one is currently drying in the incubator. None of the other five have even pipped so I’m kind of sad but if I end up with just the three that is also great! They are so cute

[stargzng386]

If you do it be prepared that none of the chicks be friendly. They’ll pickup on what she thinks of people as well.