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| Rachel, Adam and Grandma V. loving the Gold Sex Linked hen chicks |
Did you know you can make a chicken go broody? I didn't until I was faced with a difficult situation. As many of you know, a few days ago I received my order of 1 day old chicks. I was very excited; however, this is the wrong time of the year to raise chicks. My chick order was 8 weeks back ordered. What to do? Well, I thought I would attempt to make one of our 4 hens go broody (Broody is a slang term for a hen that is setting on eggs, fertile or not.)
I bought a dozen eggs and placed them in the nesting box. I then waited, said prayers, and in 4 days one of my hens took on the responsibility of hatching those eggs. Yes, she went broody! Two days later the chicks arrived in the mail.
Here's what I did next, I separated the other hens from the broody one (Chickens are highly territorial and often times kill other hen's chicks) Next, in the middle of the night I slipped the eggs out from under her and replaced them with chicks. Viola! I should mention that I also have a heat lamp in the coop and of course a chick feeder and waterer.
P.S. Once the chicks are with the hen you must leave them alone or the hen may reject the chicks.
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| Rachel and Grandma V. getting some chickie love before being tucked under the hen. |
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