Broody hen rejecting factory chicks

[Farmerbetsy]

Our hen has been broody for weeks now. Last night we snuck three factory chicks under her. When we came out in the morning, two chicks were peeping under her wings, one chick was running around the enclosure. I tucked the loose chick back with the others. Just recently though, Mama started pecking aggressively at the chicks and chasing them away. Do we take the chicks out and raise them indoors?

 

[DobieLover]

Do we take the chicks out and raise them indoors?

Did you take her eggs when you slipped the chicks under her?
How old were the chicks?
I would try to set up a brooder with a brooder plate for the chicks inside a wire dog crate covered with chicken wire so the chicks can't get out and brood them right next to her. Maybe she'll change her mind if they can work on her for a while.

 

[Farmerbetsy]

h'm no, we didn't. We have been taking the eggs as the other ladies lay the eggs under her. There had been a marble egg under her when we swapped out for the chicks. I didn't realize hens could count.
We didn't plan this very well.
We have a whole chick rearing set-up inside that we went ahead and put the babies inside of.
If we let her sit on 3 eggs for a couple days and try again to put the babies under her, might that make a difference?

 

[Farmerbetsy]

Did you take her eggs when you slipped the chicks under her?
How old were the chicks?
I would try to set up a brooder with a brooder plate for the chicks inside a wire dog crate covered with chicken wire so the chicks can't get out and brood them right next to her. Maybe she'll change her mind if they can work on her for a while.

sorry, the chicks were 3 or 4 days old.