I called a few local feed stores and they're not going to have chicks for another month...and emailed around and no one seems to have chicks that I could stick under my broody hen!
So do I just keep trying to break her of it, or do I find some day old chicks to stick under her and let her raise them?
Anyone have/going to have chicks?
would love comments/input/personal experiences!
Thanks all!
UPDATE: friday evening I went to the feed barn (nice folks) and got three of the youngest chicks they had- unfortunately they were a week and a half old, and I was worried that she wouldn't accept the older chicks because the gig would be up that they didn't "just hatch"...but apparently she REALLY wanted to be a mommy because she accepted them! I left the coop door open at night and had to sneak out there twice because the first time she was still awake. But the second time I was able to get the chicks underneath her- one of them was peeping and it woke her a little but she didn't seem to mind and settled back to sleep. I woke up early-early the next morning to be there when she awoke to see her reaction. She had been sitting patiently for just over two weeks and I think the timing was right, because she was happily clucking and discovering that she had three new babies! I put some chick starter in the coop and she showed them where the food was, and soon after she helped them locate the water. I just sat there doing the happy dance and watching the beautiful story unfold. How amazing that she- a buff orpington, would "adopt" two ameraucana chicks and one barred rock chick! I've attached some cute photos. Enjoy- and thanks again everyone for your advice!
[IMG]http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q64/ksukristin/animals/DSCN4108.jpg[/IMG]
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Jeanette- YES! mama and babies are super protective of each other- lively and healthy, and one big happy family :) I'll post up some more photos but here is a fun one- it's so hard to get them all standing still! My Buff was molting in this pic so she looks much better these days, but still- you can see what a proud mama she is!
they are all up on the roost now at night :) so adorable!
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but I have divided my coop before with great success, so it sounds like that would be the best and safest course of action.
thanks again everyone! I'll keep y'all in the loop as thing develop!
I don't have a rooster, so none of the eggs she is sitting on are fertile...but as Rachel said I'd like to try and keep it all hens so I can avoid any butchering (I've processed some of my quail before, but don't think I'd be able to process a chicken!)
I was also wondering if she does accept chicks, if the hen and her chicks will have to be kept separate from my other chicken? Would they have to be kept separate or is there a chance that fighting could break out? I figure the new "mom" would be protective of her chicks...but I'm not sure how curious/meddling the other gals would get.
Do you have a rooster? My daughter had a hen that would steal all the other eggs, she wouldn't even get up to eat or drink so my daughter would give her food and water -- she begged her dad to get one of their roosters back and early July or so about five babies hatched ~July 10th. She was so excited. She talks about how one of the eggs was rocking with the baby chick trying to get out. She just knew she would be a good mother.
A few years ago one of my orps hatched some of my silkie eggs. SO cute to see this GIANT hen with teensy babies.
my GLW keeps laying eggs in the same nest box so at times there are multiple eggs under her- not any of her own though because as she was going broody she only laid 2 eggs per week, and I had collected them before she started "camping" in the nest box. meanwhile my GLW keeps adding to her clutch of eggs and I've been trying to sneak in at night at collect the eggs- leaving a few under her so that she doesn't notice that 1 or 2 are missing. I haven't had much luck with catching her asleep- probably because I'm being too noisy...oops!
but I would like a few more chickens which is why I wanted to see if she would accept any chicks. I guess it will be a long drive for me at either the Feed lot or the Stock shop as I'm in Mesa...but I wanted to go ahead and make a plan early so that I could figure things out with time to spare :)
love your joke Rachel about the quail chicks ;)
Buff Orpingtons, as you know, are known for their broodiness, and she'll probably stay this way for a month longer. You could always let her hatch some fertile eggs. There are people on here (Jane Doyle is one) that have roosters and are usually happy to sell you a few fertile eggs. Of course then you end up with the problem of hatched cockerels that you will probably end up having to butcher....
I have quail chicks as of this morning, but I don't think that would be a good idea. ;)
I just saw chicks at the stock shop last week, did you try them?
Why don't you put some golf balls or something under her and if she's still broody in a couple of weeks, you can get some chicks. If you get sexed chicks you avoid the cockerel problem too (hopefully.)