Broody hen accepting chicks?

[connecticuthens]

Hi everyone. Thank you in advance for the advice.
Exactly 3 weeks ago we got 12 fertilized eggs. 10 were put in our homemade incubator, and 2 were given to our broody hen. In the last 24 hours one of the hen's eggs has hatched, along with 9 in our incubator. We'd like to put the new incubated babies under our broody tonight in the hopes that she will raise them all together. My question is... do you think she will accept 10 chicks when she was only sitting on 2 eggs? Any advice is appreciated!

 

[bobbi-j]

The only way to know is to try it. I don't think chickens can count, and as long as they are going in the same time as hers hatched, I'd guess she'll do OK with them, but can't say for sure.

 

[StarChicken]

Hmmmmmm, we have a broody hen that refuses to go back to ordinary living. If I put my fresh hatchlings under her some night, I wonder if she'll think she did it!

It can't happen this time because she's been "sitting" for at least three weeks, so June 3 is a bit out of bounds.

 

[bobbi-j]

Hmmmmmm, we have a broody hen that refuses to go back to ordinary living. If I put my fresh hatchlings under her some night, I wonder if she'll think she did it!

It can't happen this time because she's been "sitting" for at least three weeks, so June 3 is a bit out of bounds.

Is June 3 the soonest you can slip some chicks under her? It's really not that far away.

 

[StarChicken]

Daughter thinks she might kill them.

 

[StarChicken]

Is June 3 the soonest you can slip some chicks under her? It's really not that far away.

We went on lock-down today, so I'm hoping for June 3; although my counting may be a bit off, and we may have hatchlings on June 2. We did last time I did the counting.