Broody Chicken+Day old chicks?

[Lovemylilcluckers]

Hi-I have super broody cuckoo maran hen who is about 6 months old. I was thinking of trying to "break" her of her broodiness but have also considered giving her some day old chicks (Cornish cross's?)? Any Pro's/Con's? Tips for this?

Maybe slightly stupid questions:
1. Will my broody Cuckoo Maran take to them well? Is this do-able? Sheila the cuckoo Maran is very dark and the Cornish cross's are all white? do chickens get that? Any tips to this transition of adding day old chicks?
2. Do I need to give her and the chicks their own pen? My chickens are a great group with little to no pecking order but just curious.
3. If I do need to give them their own pen (the cuckoo Maran + couple day old chicks) when can they join back in with the flock of 5 others?
4. When we decide to process the Cornish-cross at 8-12 weeks will Sheila (currently the broody cuckoo Maran) notice/go broody again?

 

[Abriana]

Wait until night and then slip the chicks under her and preferably they should have their own pen unless their mama is really protective, a run covered in hardware cloth would be even better. They can or should join back about a week or two after the mama is finished with them so that they are big and can take care of themselves. She may decide to go broody again, but you can just break her broodiness if you want to or expand your flock a little more. Those aren't stupid questions! This is the place to go for any question, everyone has to start learn learning somewhere!

 

[azygous]

First of all, if you wish to give your Marans baby chicks to brood, you need to wait until she's been sitting for at least two and a half weeks. Or has she already been broody that long?

The color of the chicks do not need to match the color of the broody hen. However, some folks run into problems on occasion with the hen rejecting a minority of chicks who may be a different color from the majority of the chicks, so it may be wise to play it safe and not give her a mixed batch.

You say your flock has no pecking order because you see them all getting along. They get along because everyone is content with their rank in the pecking order. As soon as one decides she wants to move up a notch, you may witness a bit of ruffled feathers.

While it may be beneficial to give a broody a private corner in the coop where other hens are excluded, it's not necessary to give her her own pen, but if you have the space, it makes things easier on the broody while the chicks are very new.

A nest that is accessible to the other hens invites them to lay their eggs on top of the eggs the broody is incubating, and it not only risks breaking the eggs that have embryos but it risks having a staggered hatch when new eggs are introduced. This would present problems you really do not want to deal with or have your broody need to deal with.

Lastly, when you go to butcher her grown chicks, she will have weaned them long before and resumed her own life. She won't notice or care.