Broody hen won't take chicks - please help!!

[typeonederful]

We have a 10 month old White Plymouth Rock that is broody. She has been in the nesting box for the past 5 days or so and won't leave unless we take away her eggs, in which case she will run to get water and then straight back into the nesting box. We decided to give her chicks to hatch and planned to give them to her tonight. We bought 8 day old chicks, one Rhode Island Red and one Light Brahma. We knew they would be too big but hoped that she would accept them anyway. Tonight we boarded off a section of the nesting box for her and gave her the chicks around 10pm. She was wide awake when we did it but we didn't have a heat lamp for the chicks so didn't see another option. We put the chicks in and she immediately started lashing out at them. We pulled them out before she could do any damage but she was standing up and poking her head at them like she wanted to bite them. What should I do with the chicks? I think it might have worked if we had waited until later but now that she's had this interaction I think we've ruined those chances. We don't have any chick supplies and don't want to raise chicks again. Please help!!

 

[typeonederful]

She is a very stubborn chicken, but has been sweet the whole time she's been broody. She's let us pet her and take eggs without too much fuss.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

She wasn't broody long enough and the chicks were too old. Usually you want her brooding at least 2 weeks and give her day olds, or chicks thar had just arrived from s hatchery amd dont know what mama is

 

[typeonederful]

She wasn't broody long enough and the chicks were too old. Usually you want her brooding at least 2 weeks and give her day olds, or chicks thar had just arrived from s hatchery amd dont know what mama is

We knew both of these things but this was the only way we could do it as none of the hatcheries near us had any availability after today. In hindsight it was stupid of us and we should have just tried to break her broodiness. Do you have any recommendations for what to do next?

 

[typeonederful]

Here are the chicks. They both seemed very small for their age and we thought it might work.

 

[rosemarythyme]

At this point you should plan on brooding and raising the chicks yourself. Get the necessary supplies just to keep them alive and if you have no desire to keep the chicks, try to rehome them as soon as you can.

Even if she had hatched them from eggs, you really should have a brooder and brooding supplies on hand in case of problems. Not all broodies make good mothers.

 

[Rose Quartz]

Do you have a desk lamp and an incandescent light by any chance?

Or an old heat lamp?

Human body heat is enough to keep them alive through the night if you need to.

An electric heating pad that you can set to always on would work too.

I don't think the broody will take to them with how short a time she's been sitting.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Do you have a heating pad? You might search heat cave on here if so. Not sure if you mean what to do with hen or chicks, but you can maybe re-sell them on Craigslist or something or give them away if you don't want to raise them. if you don't want to break her broodiness, get her some fertile eggs and give her 21 days to hatch them.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Here are the chicks. They both seemed very small for their age and we thought it might work. View attachment 2701318

Once they are old enough to find food/water without her help and run from things (her) which are scary it is usually too late. 1 to 2 days old is best.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You need to find some way to keep these little guys warm through the night. In the morning you'll have to provide them with food and water and, like it or not, apparently you're raising a couple of chicks. At least until you can make other arrangements for them. Good luck.