Broody hen accepting chicks

[Nariah01]

We introduced some 6 day old chicks to a broody in hopes that she would do the raising for us this year. I have not done chick raising this way before, last year I raised them in a brooder with a heating pad. She has all 8 chicks covered up and puffs up and growls at me and the other chickens that approach her nest box. She also nibbles(kind of looks like grooming) each chick and has let them climb on top of her and such. She has only had them about a day, she hasn't gotten them out of the nest box yet, but both chicks and hen have had some chick feed that is in the box with them, and the water is about two feet from them across the coop. I am so nervous she won't protect them from the rest of the flock or that she will lose interest or not be a good mom. I guess I am just trying to see if this sounds promising or not from others who have had broodies raise chicks for them.


Thanks from a nervous chicken mama

 

[Top Rooster]

Sounds great to me. It may take a day or two for the chicks to learn broody language but I think they'll do fine. What breed is she? If she is a buff orphington I'm sure she'll do great as a mother they seem to be the best mothers of all the breeds. In my experience leghorns are the worst.

 

[Nariah01]

She is actually a Plymouth white rock, one of my buff orpingtons actually attacked one of my chicks when it got confused and ran out the door of the coop. Thankfully I was there and caught the chick and took the pecking meant for it instead. At that point the new mama was just trying to figure things out this is a first time for her too. I don't think she will hurt them I am more worried at this point that she will either lose interest or not protect them from the other chickens. But it is good to hear that it sounds ok to someone who has done this before. I've heard so many good things about chicks raised by broodies so I am really hoping this works!

 

[Nariah01]

So I checked on her today and she seems to be doing ok. She did however move nest boxes for some reason and only had half the chicks with her, the other half were huddled in the old box peeping. I moved them into her new box and she clucked softly to them and lifted herself up for them to go under her. Should i be concerned with this, I don't know if the chicks just got confused and haven't bonded with her 100% yet or what. Because she seemed concerned and happy to see them when I put them with her, so it doesn't seem like she rejected them. Thoughts?

 

[HeavensHens88]

So I checked on her today and she seems to be doing ok.  She did however move nest boxes for some reason and only had half the chicks with her, the other half were huddled in the old box peeping.  I moved them into her new box and she clucked softly to them and lifted herself up for them to go under her.  Should i be concerned with this, I don't know if the chicks just got confused and haven't bonded with her 100% yet or what.  Because she seemed concerned and happy to see them when I put them with her, so it doesn't seem like she rejected them.  Thoughts?

It may have been just because the hen was confused with the sudden load of chicks. Hens are creatures of immense habit and may I add certainly not able to quickly comprehend a change in their routine, whether it be chicks, new feed, or letting them out earlier. She seems to have accepted them, but keep a close eye on her. Most broodies who didn't accept chicks would've abandoned them completely or injured them by now.
~Sarah

 

[Nariah01]

Thank you so much for the input! I am checking on her several times a day but I am trying not to hover because the last thing I want to do is stress her out. But she seems to be doing well. She showed them food and water today and is calling to them to come and sit under her. She so far seems to be protecting them from the rest of the flock and she gets up and goes to them if too many of the chicks get to far from her. So i think she is doing very well as a first time mom.