Broody hen with chicks.

[Motherhen1165]

I have a hen that has just Hatched 5 chicks, I have a few eggs that I hatched in the incubator all in the last few days and I have 2 chicks that I bought at tractor supply 6 days ago so I have a total of 10 chicks am I able to put them all under the hen? They are all under 7 days. One is a Showgirl .. much smaller than the others .

 

[sourland]

A lot depends upon the hen and how old the chicks she hatched are. Some hens are very accepting of fostered chicks. Others bond strongly to 'their' chicks in the first 24 hours and are aggressive towards any others.

 

[chickens really]

Try it..

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I've had pretty good results giving hens chicks but haven't had much success with adding more later, though I know people do it. The older chicks with be harder than the young ones because they don't bond with the hen as readily as the chicks that are only a few days old and if your hen questions the chicks being afraid at all then she may be more aggressive toward them. Keep us updated on how it works out!

 

[aart]

If you can easily handle the broody chicks,
keep picking them up and putting them back down...
...then put two down after picking up one.
Eventually you'll get all the new chicks mixed with the broody chicks.

 

[Motherhen1165]

I've had pretty good results giving hens chicks but haven't had much success with adding more later, though I know people do it. The older chicks with be harder than the young ones because they don't bond with the hen as readily as the chicks that are only a few days old and if your hen questions the chicks being afraid at all then she may be more aggressive toward them. Keep us updated on how it works out!

It worked out perfectly... she took them as her own it was amazing.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

It worked out perfectly... she took them as her own it was amazing.

Yay! I'm so glad!! What method did you use to give them to her?