Broody hen isn't taking to new store-bought chicks

[nicolevg]

Our Buff Orpington has been broody for 2-3 weeks and diligently sitting on 4 fake eggs that whole time. We moved her to a dog kennel in our garage to segregate her from the rest of our flock, and then introduced 7 baby chicks from Meyer Hatchery that were 3-4 day old (we introduced them to her the second night we had them since they still seemed a little tired and traumatized from their journey the first night). Last night, she seemed to take to them very well in the dark and they all slept soundly. But this morning at sunrise, she started pecking them (more like nipping at them here and there... nothing too overly aggressive I'd say. None of them were injured thankfully) and kicking them out of her bed/make-shift nesting box. Now, she still sits in her nesting box corner and won't let the chicks come near here.

Does this mean she hasn't taken to the chicks, and I should segregate them and raise them on my own again? We have a brooding warming plate, so it's not like I couldn't do that. I just really wanted the broody hen to do it for me.

She is just over 1 year old and this is the first time she's gone broody. I took all her eggs, so she has no more eggs to sit on, but is still exhibiting broody behaviors even though she now has chicks.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would remove the chicks. Not all hens know what chicks are or what to do with them. I've had hens that have hatched chicks out kill them. Any sign of aggression is bad. I would also break that broody, and not use her again as generally they don't improve as mothers.

 

[nicolevg]

I would remove the chicks. Not all hens know what chicks are or what to do with them. I've had hens that have hatched chicks out kill them. Any sign of aggression is bad. I would also break that broody, and not use her again as generally they don't improve as mothers.

Thanks. That's good to know. Even though she's a buff orpington (supposedly a very nurturing, motherly breed), I was surprised she was the only one who went broody this year. We named her "Karen" because she's the b*tch of our current flock and the least motherly one, I'd say. I was hopeful that maybe that'd change when she went broody, but looks like that wasn't the case.