Broody Silkie mothering

[barredrockgrl]

I brought home all my chickens last night. Two are adults; a Partridge Silkie and a White Polish, three are 8 week olds. I was a little nervous mixing them but was told by the breeder it would probably go well and doing it at night, in a new coop, seemed to be the way to do it. I was also warned the Silkie might not lay right away because she's been broody. Well I guess so!
I went out last night around 10:30 to re-remind everyone where bed was, and do a last minute check. The Silkie was in a corner, a chick sound asleep under each wing. I picked everyone up and put them in the coop. She then flew down off the roost I placed her on and welcomed the chicks back under her. Is this normal? I did tons of research and never even thought to ask about this.
This morning they are following her around the run like they've been doing it all their lives. The (very odd) Polish is alternating between the ramp to go in the coop and a nesting box she seems to be decorating to her tastes.

 

[Ms.FuzzyButts]

Yep, it's normal. My silkies will not use a roost.. I have a 2x4 about 2 inches off the ground that my Roo's use, and the girls prefer to sit on the floor below it. And yes, they will mother anything that will let them.

 

[Kittymomma]

Normal--No, but given that you're dealing with a broody silky it's not all that surprising either. You can't depend on that kind of behaviour, even from a silky, but I have read threads where people were integrating different batches of chicks and an 8-week old silky adopted a bunch of 2-week old chicks.

You might not get a lot of eggs from her, but looks like she'll earn her keep as the coop mother.