I had three broody hens and was tired of it... so I sent caity off to get grain and told her to pick out a few chicks from the "extra" bin at the hatchery..I haven't ever tried this, but what the heck...I thought! why not try. So here they are... ( photo / image / picture from carolyn's Garden ) I started out with 6 chicks. Unfortunately two became casualties of the coop, but the other 4 are finally acting like they were hatched by the two hens who are brooding over them and the two hens are finally acting like they hatched them. The third hen wanted nothing to do with the occasion. she quit being broody. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn's Garden )
Nice that the broodys caught on! Right now I have one broody hen, and I'm threatening her with dire consequences if she doesn't stop yelling at me. The nicest, quietest, most docile hen turns into henzilla when she goes broody!
It's good to know that your hens and chicks have taken to each other and that the third hen is no longer broody. Sounds like a success story to me. :-D Well done!!
Hi Carolyn,..well done,..that is something i have never tried,..amazing how the two hens differed adopting the chicks,..i have swapped eggs with a broody hen giving her more,..and swapped around duck eggs to a broody hen even swapped hen eggs to a duck,..both swaps worked alas the problem rose when the duck went to swim with her hen chicks oops. Delighted to know your experiment was so successful.
