feline fanatic

We have a small flock of chickens (10 hens and 1 roo). Some of my girls are getting on in years so we just got 10 baby chicks, Rhode Island Reds. I picked them up at the local Agway today. They are day old babies, so cute. I have one cochin hen that has been broody for about a month so rather then hauling out the incubator for the babies DH and I just tucked them under her after it got dark. We just checked and she is still sitting on the babies so I think we will have a successful adoption and these little babies will hopefully know the care only a mother hen can give. Has anyone here ever tried introducing new babies to a broody hen?

cctx.

Last year my chickens were productive (Rhode Island Reds) but I sold them away and kept the ducks and geese.

My goose has eggs twice a month, but none have hatched yet.

Rose L

We found a Canadian goose egg in the alfalfa field when cutting hay one year. We had a hen that was sitting eggs and stuck the Canadian egg under her. She hatched it and raised it. It was funny as heck to see that big butt sticking out from the hens chest, it just didn't quite fit under her like the chicks did. Sadly, a coyote got the bird in the end.

kittenquilts

I was talking to my sister yesterday and she mentioned that there was a duck egg abandoned in their pasture (dog chased the parents). She and her husband tucked it under one of their hens and it hatched! They've nicknamed him Wonder Duck. I do wonder if he will have an identify crisis though. :)

icon17

Please we want PICS!! chicks are sooo cute!!

feline fanatic

:lol: :lol: I can picture it. I know a hen will take to whatever egg you shove under them. We once had a chicken that hid a nest full of eggs and hatched out about 11 babies but there were still more eggs in the nest so we candled them and saw one that was still ok. We stuck that under a broody hen and she hatched it out. It was a black hen with one little yellow chick. Unfortunately we did lose that hen and her one baby to some predator. Hopefully we won't lose these to predators. We have fox and I have heard Coyotes howling in the distance in the fall. There are also hawks and owls.

BETTY62

I think baby chicks are so cute.