@Calli
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Can chickens foster?I have a single hatchling and a light sussex with 5 day old chicks. Is it possible to foster the hatchling and how would I do this?
Can chickens count? 
Hatchling is under heat lamp but on its own as mother 'sat' on two others before we could rescue rest of eggs to incubator....
have I done the wrong thing removing mother hen with no mothering instinct whatsoever - she was incubator reared and OH says she will never raise naturally ?
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Bodger
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No.
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@Calli
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So I have a 'pet' chick then????
Lets just hope a brother or sister manages to hatch.....
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Camile
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Hi,
Well apparently you can do it by given some bread soaked in sweet red wine to the hen a couple of hours before she goes to bed.
Once she's asleep, stick the chick underneath her .... and next morning .. she should accept him (hangover helping) ...
The only worry would be the size of the chicks ...I believe they would have to be around the same age ...
Lucky you to have Sussex ... that's the next ones I need ..
I had 6 Silkies chicks 3 weeks ago .. but yesterday one of them vanished ?! no sign of anything .. even though they are with the mum and dad...
Good luck ..
Camile
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judith
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I would agree with Bodger, you are probably too late to get the mother to foster the new chick.
I was interested in your reasons for taking the eggs away from the mother, though. I used to have a white orpington who was very clumsy, and did break quite a few eggs while she was sitting. But those that did get through to hatching were the best looked-after chicks you could want to see. She was a great mum, but just a bit heavy-footed. We just made sure that the eggs we gave her to sit on were surplus to requirements, so if they didn't make it to hatching it wouldn't be a disaster.
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