Re: Advice needed on brooding hen

Hi Edward,
You may be lucky enough to be able to slip some of your day old ones under
the hen. Depends on how many of her eggs hatch , You should be able to put
some under her .
I have done this a few times . I have put 12 to16 chicks under but not 25
under 1 hen. Hope this helps.
Yours
Peggy

"Dr. Edward Warren" <e-warren@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:GZdae.627609$w62.125660@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I have 5 different breeds of chicken in my small flock of 20. Each has a
> purpose. The Buff Orpingtons are there because they are the only ones I
> have who will occasionally hatch a clutch of eggs.
> One of them has just started and the eggs should hatch about May 5. This
is
> handy because I have ordered an infusion of fresh stock (25 day old
chicks)
> to come from the McMurray Hatchery on May 3.
> What should I do with the chicks of my brooding hen? Should I leave them
to
> her care, or add them to the day old McMurray ones? The new chicks will
be
> shut off from the old hens for a while and I will feed them special feeder
> grower food.
> I am not even sure what the hen will do to care for her chicks. They are
in
> a coop, but they will be able to wander all over. She normally ranges
> several hundred yards from the coop during the day, but I do not know what
> she will do with chicks in tow.
> Thank you,
> Edward Warren
>
>
>


.

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