Are baby chicks safe with other hens outside?

Question

well the eggs in my incubator are about to hatch and i was wondering when they do if it will be safe for them after a few days if i give them to their parents outside? or will they reject them? i've left some eggs in their outside nest so they will be a bit broody but they still don't sit on them. any ideas as to their safety?

thanks

Answer 1

Leaving eggs for them won't automatically make them go broody.....and new chicks hatched out of a bator, rather than hatched by the mom should be kept in a brooder until big enough (warmth is the biggest issue) but the older chickens will give them grief as well and you don't want dead chicks....

Answer 2

First we would have to take into consideration what type of hens you own. Do they brood? Not all chickens brood, as it was breed out of many. Check to see if your hens will brood.  http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/c...

If so there is also a large chance that they will not take the chicks. Your hens will need to be completely broody if they are going to take these babies not a bit broody. You can tell a broody hen because she will puff up, try to bite you, and make terrible noises when she sees you. She will also be missing her stomach feathers.

Leaving out a few eggs- May not work even if the hen is a breed that broods. This may not be her time to raise a family.

Adoption- If your hens do brood it is possible that they will adopt the chicks. Do not give the hens any chicks that are over three days old, as they will not respond to her or her them. Any chicks older may be killed. When giving her the chicks only give her one at the beginning. Do not show her the chick; just shove it under her belly. Keep watch over her until she finds out that she has had a baby. If she responds well then give her some more. Don’t give her to many as she may not be able to care for them all and they may die.

If the hen doesn’t want the chicks then do not leave them outside unprotected. Chicks need to be kept warm, dry, feed, and so forth. Plus most hens depending on the breed will attack and sometimes even kill chicks that do not have a mother.

Typically if you decide to incubate chicks yourself then you should have a brooder ready for them. In fact a brooder should always be available when dealing with baby chicks because mother hens do die.

Hope this helps, if you have any questions feel free to contact me via email.

Rhode Runner

Answer 3

I have chickens as pets..

http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Unusual-Pet...

I was always told that chicks could not just be plunked in with hens.. unless the hen raised them.. they still need to be kept warm at night and on cool days.. a hen who didnt raise the chicks will not have any mothering ideas towards them as she will assume they are another hens chicks, as such your chicks will get cold..

when they are bigger you MIGHT try them with the hens but watch for signs of pecking as chickens are notorious for bullying especially if crowded