Any chance my (not broody) hen will adopt newly ordered chicks?

[HollywoodHens]

Last September one of my hens went broody, so I ordered her some fertilized eggs which she successfully hatched. She was a great chicken mommy and successfully raised all of the babies, who are now 4 months old. We're ready for more chicks, so I placed some dummy eggs in one of the nest boxes, and stopped collecting eggs from another, but she hasn't gone broody yet. I ordered chicks for delivery next Monday anyway...and I'm hoping that I can get her to adopt them...any chance?

Shall I put the babies in the coop with her (she's a RIR) and see what happens? Or am I better off putting them directly into a brooder? (there will be 25) It was so easy having the chicken be mommy, that I'm not really too keen to do it myself! Any advice is appreciated

 

[Gonzo]

With her not being broody right now, I myself would not do it, hatching eggs arn't cheap and you sure don't want them going to waste.

 

[HollywoodHens]

I ordered day old chicks this time...not hatching eggs. I wouldn't order eggs till I had a broody hen...then again, if I had a broody hen I wouldn't have to time my order around our vacation, because the hen would be doing all of the work!

 

[Olive Hill]

Unless by "adopt" you mean peck to death I would go the brooder route.

 

[tammyd57]

That would have to be quite a huge hen to cover and keep warm 25 chicks!

 

[little_grey_bantam]

I had an Australorp mama who adopted approximately 60+ chicks! LOL
I was holding them for other people and finally got the number down to 25 LOL