Remudamom Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 One of my silkie hens is broody. Another is semi-broody. I have them in their own coop, away from everyone else, trying to encourage them. They both have three eggs. Semi-broody is in a dog carrier. I close her up all but a few hours in the morning. Sometime next week, Thursday or Friday, I'm getting eight chicks, and I'm hoping to be able to slip them under the hens. Backyard Chickens says it will work if the hens have enough time to be broody. Cross your fingers! I'd rather the hens raise them than me. They are both excellent mothers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 How fun! I want to try this sometime with my hens. Let us know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Good luck! I tried to get my silkie to accept a newly hatched chick after she had been brooding for about 17 days and she would have no part of it. I had to rescue the little guy ffrom being pecked to death. I sincerely hope it works for you...perhaps I have a silkie that is the antithesis of all a broody silkie should be! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Good luck! I tried to get my silkie to accept a newly hatched chick after she had been brooding for about 17 days and she would have no part of it. I had to rescue the little guy ffrom being pecked to death. I sincerely hope it works for you...perhaps I have a silkie that is the antithesis of all a broody silkie should be! :lol: Uh oh, I don't want to hear this! One of these little gals just raised a clutch. The minute they started going about on their own she went broody again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Cross your fingers! I'd rather the hens raise them than me. They are both excellent mothers. It's so much easier when they do it! Let us know if it works. We only ever had chicks raised by hen or chicks raised by this Mom and her son...:D. I have never dared to slip one under, mine have never been broody at the right time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 I've done it many times. The only thing you DON'T want to do is slip chicks under a duck--she'll take them to the ditch and drown them... Do you have any idea how long they need to be broody? I'm wondering if I have enough time. Did you do it all at once? One at a time and checking? How old were the chicks? Details please, you can't possibly give me too many details!!!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 :lurk5:I hope to have one of my chickens raise some chicks when spring comes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zookeeper Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I've got a bantam that's broody right now. We tried to break her of it but she wasn't having anything to do with it. I got some fertile eggs from a friend and we'll see how it goes. They should hatch this week. Now ANOTHER hen is going broody. I really didn't want to deal with this over the winter. We're going to try to break her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda S in TX Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Make sure she is sleeping when you make the switch :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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