Broody adopting hatchery chicks (behavior)

[MI_Chkns]

I'm more of a lurker than a poster, but wanted to share this experience while it's fresh.
I have a splash ameraucana who will be a year old in a couple weeks. She has a severe cross beak and spends all but her days inside so the can take the time to eat in peace of the others. She's only a little over 3lbs, so she needs all she can get.
She hangs with me before bed and sleeps inside in a pen. (yes I have a problem, or so my wife says)
She went broody a few weeks ago. I tried breaking her for a week, but she was very persistent. So I let her site on some fake eggs while I thought about what to do.

I didn't think she could go three weeks without affecting her health, so decided to slip her some hatchery chicks.

I wanted the youngest chicks I could find. TSC and FFH are close by, but I decided to head to Meyer Hatchery in Ohio (Great place) on hatch day and get them fresh, with me transporting. This was Monday.

Put four chicks under her that night with little fuss. This was after about 12 days of letting her sit on the fake eggs.

Next morning they wandered out and she was not happy. She was pecking at them (or more like beak bunting) relentlessly. I thought I was going to have to raise them, and after having hens do the work, I didn't want to go back. It is so much easier all around if they're raised by one of their own. Flock Integration being the big one.

So I took them away for a bit and tried the next night. Again, not much fuss.

The next morning things improved, but it was still off. Momma quick trying to kill them and just sat. The little ones ventured out, and momma stayed put and grumbled a bunch, but didn't go after them. She has started talking to them and acting more mom like.
Last night the chicks learned to go under her and she seemed a little happier

It's now 4 days since I picked up the chicks. Today they are finally a little family. They cling to her, she's brought them out for a tour of the house, tidbitting, showing them the chicken ropes.

All is finally good. Tomorrow they'll go out with the others and we'll see how that goes.

I started to think about the interactions and how they differed from a hatching hen.
I thought about how when my hens hatch and raise, they too stay on the nest a couple days after they hatch, and the chicks don't really come out. They may for a second, but go right back in.

I think they didn't know she was the safe place, even being hours old, because they were hatched in a tray.
And she didn't know NOT to get up and lead them around immediately, because she they knew better than to run off.

Apologies for the long read, wander if anyone else has had a similar experience.

Pic attached

 

[sourland]

Thanks for the story.

 

[Chelseachicks]

I always have my store bought or mail ordered chicks raised by a real mama hen! Works every time. Mama hens go broody and are sitting on their fake eggs- sometimes for a few weeks. The day or so before the little ones are coming, I move her and her warm eggs into the "maternity ward"= a nice large, roomy rabbit hutch inside my chicken coop and get her settled in- relaxed, eating, resting, and continuing to sit her eggs. Once the chicks have arrived, that evening, quietly in the dark, I slip the chicks in under her one at a time, about 1 every 10-15 minutes, and swap out the fake eggs till there are only chicks, no eggs. The little ones go straight under her and nestle in and go to sleep. When they all wake in the morning she's a new mama with a family! Very rarely have I had issues of any kind. Granted- my hens are quite tame. I can handle them all and there is no fighting or issues between any of my hens either. Did have an issue last year when one hen hatched her own chicks and then another broody one came in and decided to take over and kidnap her chicks. Every time I let them out of the hutch, the other hen was stealing the chicks and causing a fuss. I finally just let them all be together and they successfully co-raised/co-parented the group of chicks. Sometimes the hens are quite forceful in getting the chicks to obey- straighten up, stay where they belong, etc. She might peck them more forcefully than I am comfortable with, but then once dominance is established, they behave and she doesn't have to discipline them like that any more.
Good luck!

 

[Jackisews]

How did you keep the chicks warm while waiting to put them under the hen at night?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I had a hen adopt some chicks that came in the mail a few years ago, as well as 4 of her own she hatched the day or two before. She did lose one hatchery chick, but it very likely wasn't solely her fault. I didn't do anything fancy, just gave her one at a time as soon as they got to me, and within 30 minutes, she had all 8 total under her happily. She's too old now to brood, but she was a great mama when she was younger.

Had another hen that would adopt anyone that was still before puberty. Even a trio of 5 or 6 week old silkies that were bigger than her at that point and a cluster of like 12, 3 and 4 week old cochin bantams a couple weeks prior

 

[Chelseachicks]

How did you keep the chicks warm while waiting to put them under the hen at night?

I use a Cozy Coop warming plate or similar. I like these because they produce consistent safe warmth without light. Another type of warmer I like is a ceramic reptile warming bulb- more focused warmth for a small area, but no light. Not too much touching if wanting them to bond up with the mama, at least at first. AND- If the mama is experienced or quite tame, it may not be necessary to wait until nightfall- she might just accept them straight away as they snuggle up under her to nap! Attend to them all (mama and babies) through a whole cycle- napping, then up and eating, drinking, settling down ,and then napping again. Look for her to guide them, and comfort them- welcome the little ones as they nestle in under her after a meal. You can help along by showing them how and where to eat with your finger too.