The Hatch and Grafting

The babies have hatched and the numbers are low.  It looks like I am only getting four chicks out of this round of incubation.  The eggs in the incubator were the only ones to hatch at all, though two of the eggs under the hen pipped, but did not hatch successfully.  After the first 24 hours I moved the hatched chicks into my little brooder set up under a heat lamp.

After another 24 hours it was clear that the broody hen was not going to have a successful hatch on her own.  I wanted to try grafting the newly hatched babies on to this new mama hen so I waited until dark and then one by one I tucked the chicks under her.  I also tried to remove any unhatched eggs so that she would know that she was done setting on eggs.

At first she pecked at them quite a bit and I was worried that she would hurt them, but I kept checking on them every couple hours and they seemed to work it out by the next day.  Now she is keeping the babies close to her and staying fluffed up to keep them warm.  She has even been encouraging them to eat when I go to check on them.

From the looks of things today I think they are going to be just fine.  I am very happy to have a broody hen to raise the chicks for me.  Now I won't have to run a heat lamp in my back room and the chicks can stay outside from day one.  They have already survived the last couple cooler nights with their mama hen keeping them warm in the nest box.  Now that I know that I have a good broody hen I plan on keeping her around for awhile.  It will save me a lot of work and worry if she proves that she can do a good job.