Broody hen adopt chicks

[oliviaandjosh4]

I have a broody hen who just hatched 2 chicks 4 days ago and they are doing great. Tomorrow I am getting 5 more young chicks, 1 week old or less, and was wondering if she would adopt them and raise them along with her 2 chicks? I was thinking I could put them underneath her at night time so she won't notice as much? Has anyone ever done this, and do you think it will work? Any tips appreciated!!

 

[Pyxis]

If the new chicks are more than a few days old, it won't work. They will be too old to properly imprint on the hen even if she does accept them.

 

[azygous]

You can try it. Broodies and even chicks are all different, and you never know what to expect until you see it.

But beware the possibility the broody will try to kill the new chicks. If she reacts with rage and screaming (that happened to me when I tried this) be ready to snatch the chicks up before she hurts them.

I had a broody adopt three chicks last summer than were already six weeks old. She stuck with them constantly, teaching them stuff, protecting them, and even roosting with them until they were almost four months old!

This year, she is going broody again, but so far she has shown only cursory interest in this year's chicks who are three weeks old right now. So, you never know about broodies. They are fickle by nature.