# Advice d should hatch around the putting baby chicks with a broody hen



## blulady (8 mo ago)

We have a hen thats been setting on eggs which if fertile, should hatch around the 2nd of August. Our new chicks should be here around the 10th of August. Would it be ok to try to get her to adopt them. And if so how to go about doing that?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How many new chicks? Too many and she won't be able to cover them all to keep them warm. 

If it's just a couple and she's not on a ton of eggs all you can do is show her the new peeps to see her reaction.


----------



## blulady (8 mo ago)

5 chicks she`s only laying on 2 eggs.
Can hens tell if eggs are fertile when it gets close to hatching?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Nope. But they can hear and feel the peeps moving. Well, I guess that would be yes they can tell. 

Seven should be fine if she accepts them. Some are greedy and will steal whatever they can from other hens. Some are very protective and won't let anything, not even near their chicks, and will attack.


----------



## blulady (8 mo ago)

Thought maybe they could she sure sets on them, to me looks like she hardly leaves the nest but my son says she does more than I think she does
Hopefully she will take them would be much better for them if she does

Another question. since hens dont lay eggs when brooding how they get so many eggs. Have seen videos of hen setting on a lot of eggs. When this hen went broody we put a couple of eggs under her. The hen they are from her and the roo still going strong the other hen won`t have any thing to do with him


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

There can be a couple of reasons for a pile of eggs. The hen laid them all before going broody. The more likely reason is multiple hens laying in the same nest. 

Some breeds never go broody. That's why you're not seeing the other hen setting.


----------



## blulady (8 mo ago)

Ok thsnks. My son let the other three out of their run today. We had to have someone watch out for them cause of the cats not sure if they would mess with them. Anyway wasn`t sure how he was going to get them back in their pen. He has a little can he use for their scratch feed, he just carried it out to where they was and shook it and they followed him back into the pen. Reminded me of the pied piper. lol


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Was this their first venture out into the wide open? They can get hooked on that in a hurry.

Most cats are not a problem with the chickens. All you can do is watch the behavior to make sure they're not a problem. They might even be something of a protector for the birds.


----------



## blulady (8 mo ago)

Yes Our cats are hunters though so they might be. like you said just have to watch them. They seemed enjoy it


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They can be hunters and not bother the adult chickens. Babies?. Nope. No way. They're little mechanized toys. 

The only way to know is to let them mingle. Some keep their cats and chickens together.


----------

