Adding day old chicks to a broody hen

[ChelsieW]

Hello,
We have two hens who are broody. Like... REALLY broody. We ordered chicks and are hoping that they will foster them. We have a brooder in case it doesn't work out. Seven chicks. They're coming next week and will get here on day 18, 19, or 20 of they hens broody cycle. So, I think the timing is good.
Currently, they're sitting on their clutches in the egg boxes. We're going to make them a space on the ground in the run (it's predator proofed) and move their nests there so that they're already on the ground when the chicks get here. I know they need to be separated at first. I'd like to split the chicks between them. We are capable of keeping them separate from each other. We actually have another coop that we're working on for the whole flock but could put one hen and chicks there first if necessary.
I know that the mama hen will just do her thing and protect the chicks from the flock but I'm wondering about having two mama hens raising chicks at the same time. Am I worried for nothing or do they need to be separated? If so, how long?

Just trying to get as much info as possible before we give this a go.

 

[MysticPoultry101]

I had two mamas in the same pen with a sweet rooster. the mamas fought a tiny bit but then learned to get along,

 

[Trish1974]

Last summer I had two hens hatch clutches three days apart. The hen that hatched eggs last ended up beating the tar out of the first mother hen and stole her chicks. You just never know.

 

[RoosterML]

Currently have 2 Mommas sharing 2 chicks.
I stopped messing with moving them awhile ago. Now they stay in the place they pick. If nest box is high I just add more wood shavings underneath. I think it’s a great idea adding chicks to a broody. Personally I would not separate or move anyone. Good luck!!
Jersey Giant and Lav Orp. Sharing the task:

 

[ChelsieW]

Last summer I had two hens hatch clutches three days apart. The hen that hatched eggs last ended up beating the tar out of the first mother hen and stole her chicks. You just never know.

Whoa

 

[ChelsieW]

Currently have 2 Mommas sharing 2 chicks.
I stopped messing with moving them awhile ago. Now they stay in the place they pick. If nest box is high I just add more wood shavings underneath. I think it’s a great idea adding chicks to a broody. Personally I would not separate or move anyone. Good luck!!
Jersey Giant and Lav Orp. Sharing the task:
View attachment 2264899

We already moved them today. We made an enclosure in the run, gave them each a cardboard nesting box with their eggs (unfertilized), and covered it with a tarp. I think I will just feel better knowing they are on the ground and a chick can't fall somewhere. We put up a chicken wire divider between them to start with and if they seem okay we'll take it down. They do seem very attached to each other. Whenever I open the coop they're just chirping softly at each other and one of them pushed her eggs into the main bedding area so they could sit closer. So, I'm hoping those are good signs of co-parenting. But I know they can be unpredictable and they're pretty young. Only a year old.

 

[ChelsieW]

Update.
We separated off a section of the run (the run itself is predator proof) and also put some chicken wire between them. Put in some cardboard nesting boxes for each hen and covered the whole portion with a tarp so that they wouldn't feel overly exposed. It does have a wooden roof but they seemed freaked out. Once the tarp was in place and we had it wired so it couldn't fly off, they were definitely happier and less stressed. We moved them and their eggs to the new nests. They're side by side still but have fencing between them in case they want to fight.
The chicks shipped today. I'm hoping they get here tomorrow. They'll be here by Wednesday for sure. I'm thinking we will keep them in the brooder until nightfall and once they're sleepy, try giving them each a few. Then I'll sit in the run for a bit and just make sure everything is good for the night.

Wish me luck!

 

[Shezadandy]

Update.
We separated off a section of the run (the run itself is predator proof) and also put some chicken wire between them. Put in some cardboard nesting boxes for each hen and covered the whole portion with a tarp so that they wouldn't feel overly exposed. It does have a wooden roof but they seemed freaked out. Once the tarp was in place and we had it wired so it couldn't fly off, they were definitely happier and less stressed. We moved them and their eggs to the new nests. They're side by side still but have fencing between them in case they want to fight.
The chicks shipped today. I'm hoping they get here tomorrow. They'll be here by Wednesday for sure. I'm thinking we will keep them in the brooder until nightfall and once they're sleepy, try giving them each a few. Then I'll sit in the run for a bit and just make sure everything is good for the night.

Wish me luck!

I would reallllllly consider using hardware cloth- chicks can absolutely make it through some varieties of chicken wire.

My own policy is waiting until the hen starts talking to the chicks. Personally I introduce them in a crate (that momma has been in on her "eggs") in the house after dark so I'm right there if she decides the parenting thing isn't for her.

Get the chicks eating and drinking before handing them over to momma hen - and it's going to be important to check each chick every day, at least twice a day for pasty butt, especially because they are being shipped.

 

[ChelsieW]

Hey everyone,
I thought I would come back and give an update. We decided to introduce the chicks to the two mama hens during the day. I know that's opposite of what most people do but because they are both young and inexperienced we wanted to watch them closely and just make sure it was okay.
Got the chicks. They were good and new lol. opened the door to the nesting boxes where they were brooding, showed the first chick to our Ameraucana, Blueberry, and she literally flew out of the coop at me and ran across the yard in a full out panic . She ran as FAR away from the coop as possible and stood in the corner of the yard making the WEIRDEST noises I have ever heard her make. My heart sank and I thought... oh no.
Well, we decided we better try the other one and know what we were up against. So we showed Elphaba, our olive egger the same chick. She immediately started cooing and shuffling up on one side. So, I gently put it under her wing and she immediately took it. Started pushing it farther under her and making soft happy noises. We had 7 chicks. We decided to give Elphaba 4 and then wait a bit and see if Blueberry would come back. Elphaba took every chick shown her and just immediately started talking to them. You could just tell so easily that it was successful. So we put the other 3 chicks in the brooder in the garage and watched her for a while. After about 30 min, Blueberry came over and tried to get back in. We let her back in and Elphaba like showed her a chick. It really seemed like they were going to both be on board for a bit. They'd been brooding together and these two ladies are very attached to each other. But then, Blueberry started pecking at the chicks and she tried to get underneath Elphaba like she wanted to be under her. It just became clear that she was confused. Maybe because she's only 8 months old. Idk. Elphaba literally started sitting on her sister like, okay, get on in here but we moved Blueberry out and tried to put her back on her own nest. Anytime the chicks popped out. Blueberry would peck at them. So, we knew she just wasn't ready.
We removed Blueberry to the yard and introduced the rest of the chicks to Elphaba who took them immediately. I watched them for about an hour. Just read a book in the shade and kind of kept an eye on them. She seemed like she was in heaven with those babies.
So, later that night we moved Elphaba and babies to the brooder in the garage because I was worried about Blueberry's desire to peck them. We spent a few days breaking Blueberry of the brood. She seemed very confused. It kinda made me sad. She wanted them but also would be aggressive anytime she had an opportunity. Now that she's not broody, she just seems uninterested in them. Elphaba has been a great Mom. Like, a really, really good mom. Once Blueberry was broken of the brood and not aggressive to them we moved them back into the run in a sectioned off area so that the hens could see and get used to them.
So, this was definitely a learning experience but it worked out wonderfully. Watching a good mama hen take care of some chicks is seriously the best stress relief. I go out there and just hang out by them.

Sorry that was long. I wanted to give as much information as possible in case another person like me came across this and wanted to know how it went.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice.

 

[ChelsieW]

Happy mama, happy babies