Can a hen adopt older chicks?

[brodysam]

One of my 6 week old pullets was loose when I went to feed/water so I spent some time chasing her down. Inside the pen, my young adult BCM hen was busy charging me up to the fence line, clucking at me and flapping her wings and fluffing her feathers. She acted as if she were trying to protect the pullet. She hasn't started laying yet so I was wondering, is this her demonstrating a maternal instinct, even for chicks that are older?

 

[Judy]

Don't know. Maybe the BCM is the lead hen and protecting her flock.