I have a hen who is broody for the first time ever. She has been broody going on a week with eggs that will never hatch. I have in my brooder 15 3 week old chicks and I took one down to her last night. Today it is still doing well. My question and concern is would she take more that 12 chicks and chicks that are 3 weeks old like that one but bigger due to breed. Or should I just let her have a few smaller chicks so she stops egg stealing. I have never had a broody hen so this is new to me
If she took the one chick happily, I would try giving her one or two more. If she keeps taking them happily, maybe give her more each day until the brooder is empty so you don't have an extra pen of chicks to tend.
I suspect that going from one chick to a dozen at once would be confusing to her, which is why I suggest adding them over several days. Maybe each day you could add as many chicks as she already has (so when she has 1, add another one. When she has 2, add 2 more. When she has 4, add 4 more.) Hens do not seem to really count chicks, but I think they do a certain amount of learning for how to deal with one, several, or large numbers of babies at once.
If the weather is cold, they all need to be able to squeeze underneath her at night to stay warm. But given the season, and the fact that they are already 3 weeks old, that may not be an issue. Chicks that cannot fit underneath may be content to snuggle up beside the hen, which might provide as much warmth as they need (depends on the temperatures and on how feathered the chicks are.)
You seem to have a slightly unusual hen.
Most hens are not ready to accept chicks when they have been broody for only one week. But yours obviously accepted one.
It is usually more successful to give very young chicks to a hen, rather than ones that are already three weeks old. But yours apparently accepted this one.
So your hen is doing something that only a few other hens would do.
I'll be curious to hear how it goes over the next few days and weeks!
