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Post by gardendaddy on Mar 22, 2011 8:04:25 GMT -6
Hello All,
I have a Buff Orpington hen that has gathered up several of the plastic golf balls I use as "nest eggs" and has been setting on them for about three weeks now. Just so happens that I had ordered 5 chicks and they will be here this Friday morning.
Last Saturday, I moved the little broody hen to my old brooder cage...really an old rabbit cage I fixed as a brooder and added another section butted up to the large cage opening and covered her good where she is in a snug, dark place with her own food and water.
My plan is when the chicks arrive on Friday to hold them in a heated plastic tote until Friday night, then slip the chicks in and take out a golf ball about every 30-minutes to an hour intervals till I get all 5-chicks introduced. Hopefully the next morning she will have them out and looking for food and brooding them as needed and mothering them like crazy......that is the PLAN...I will let everyone know how this "science experiment" turns out! Hopefully it will be as planned!
Mike
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Post by cks4me on Mar 22, 2011 11:39:30 GMT -6
I have a buff sitting on about eight, I also have 12 in the incubator. I am hoping I can slip them out with her also.....what do ya'll think???
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Post by Timbo on Mar 22, 2011 13:14:56 GMT -6
Never tried putting under the hen. Let me know if it works would like to try it myself.
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allie
Junior Member
Posts: 206
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Post by allie on Mar 22, 2011 13:38:11 GMT -6
We have put some we hatched in the incubator with a silkie hen that had just hatched some a day or so before. Put a duck with her, too. It was cute watching the duck out grow the mom and still try to get under her wing She did fine, just looked a little confused when her babies doubled in size.
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Mar 22, 2011 16:59:08 GMT -6
Now thats funny. Do you have a pic?
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allie
Junior Member
Posts: 206
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Post by allie on Mar 22, 2011 17:38:47 GMT -6
No, I tried to take pictures when the duck was still small and they never turned out good. You would see it's head stickiing out and as soon as I would get the camera he would hide his head. It was really funny when it was older, because the chicks were still small and the duck was huge. His mom was a Rouen and the dad was a TSC duck, but was massive. Larger than our male Khaki Campbell.
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Post by gardendaddy on Mar 23, 2011 9:00:30 GMT -6
The only thing that is worrying me with the setty hen is that she has barely eaten a thing or had much water...the last BO I had that did that died the day after she stopped setting on 1-golf ball! I think she literally starved or dehydrated to death...
Mike
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Post by herb on Mar 23, 2011 9:25:49 GMT -6
I adopted 17 chicks to a hen and she's only lost one in the 3 weeks since. Don't need to stagger putting them in though- stick all the chicks at once. AND it doesn't always work, there is a risk of rejection. Even hens that sit the eggs sometimes peck the babies.
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Post by gardendaddy on Mar 23, 2011 20:04:12 GMT -6
Thanks Herb...will just put them in all at once.
Mike
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Mar 24, 2011 15:55:03 GMT -6
I take my hens off the nests and sit them in the feed pan and make sure they eat and drink before letting them back on the eggs. I had 4 hens in one coop and when one would get up the others would steal her eggs. They all always had eggs under them when I would check on them and make sure they're eating. They finally starting getting up and doing it themselves. I stood and watched for a long time and as soon as another would get up to eat the one that lost her eggs would go sit on the other hens eggs. They did this all winter. When the chicks hatched they would get brought inside and put in a brooder. When it warmed up last week I let a couple of chicks stay and the hens apparently fought over the chicks like they do the eggs and killed a chick. So now when I hear peeping or see a pip I pull it and take it in and put it in the hatcher. Today I just pulled all the remaining eggs and the girls are getting a break. I need them to lay not sit right now.
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Post by cks4me on Mar 25, 2011 12:57:22 GMT -6
I read that you should make sure that the babys are no more than three days old if you are going to put them out. I am going to try it, just so much easier to let nature do the work if you know what I mean. The eggs in the bator are about two days older though and it may not work. I have to think about it. Re: eatting and drinking b/c I am at work during the day I really don't know if she is getting up but last Sat I saw her out stretching and last night again I saw her out, however when I went out she cluck clucked and went right in got down to business. I think it is so darn cute to hear her in there talking to the eggs..... how sweet
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Post by Timbo on Mar 25, 2011 13:17:59 GMT -6
Well I wish everyone luck with their hatching.
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