Can Non-Broody Hens "Adopt" Chicks**UPDATE**

[MesMama]

http://micahsfarm.blogspot.com/2016/06/new-chick-pictures.html

http://micahsfarm.blogspot.com/2016/06/another-one-hatched.html

Awesome!!! SO cute!

 

[BrittsChickens]

I'm so glad I found this post!
I have 3 Crested Cream Legbar pullets that are 16 weeks old (and a roo-mutt who is about 13 weeks old-but he isn't involved yet- haha). Yesterday I bought 3 more chicks (2 are about 3 days old, and one is about a week old) and then experimented with my pullets (individually) to see if they would "adopt"my new chicklets... I knew it was a long shot, but after several hours, one of my girls took to them.
I put each pullet in a dog-crate-turned-broody with the chicks and closely monitored them for about an hour. First was Annie, whose comb is a deep pink. She didn't mind the chicks, but I think they annoyed her. She pecked at one in a not-so-nice way, so I swapped her out for Chippie, who is the largest of my girls. Chippie didn't want to be in the broody-box, and she was constantly searching for a way out. After a little over an hour, I gave up and in came Henny Penny (who I thought would be the best choice of the 3 anyway- I was saving her as my last resort).
She was terrified at first, and would jump every time a chick moved. Then she bedded down and watched them. Once they were tuckered out, they laid next to Henny Penny. That's when I started "checking" on them every half-hour or so. At the hour mark, I noticed 2 chicks missing, and one laying out under the heat lamp. I snuck in for a closer look and realized that the 2 "missing" chicks were cuddled comfortably under a very glaring mommy chicken!!! (YAY!!!) I wanted to make sure that baby #3 (Brownie) would be alright, so I checked in every hour (and left the heat lamp on so she would stay warm). After a few hours (and another "play-time") Brownie was comfortably sleeping under momma-bird. This morning, and throughout the day, everyone is happy. I love hearing Henny Penny cluck and purr to her babies!!!
This afternoon I took it a step further and put all 4 of them in the coop. I let Annie, Chippie, and Charlie (my roo) out to free range, then I scrubbed down the coop before I put all three chicks in it. Before I could even turn around, Henny Penny was running across the yard, clucking angrily at me for taking her babies away! She walked right into the coop and settled in with the chicks. I have been checking on them every couple of hours to make sure everything is okay. Hopefully the rest of my flock won't mind the additions

 

[azygous]

What a sweet little family group! I must say, you lucked out. This is rare.

Summer before last, I had an older hen adopt three chicks. The chicks happened to be six weeks old and not in the need of a broody, but Su-su volunteered anyway. Here's the interesting part. She appeared to have been stimulated to go broody by the presence of the chicks in the run.

Su-su nurtured the three chicks until they were nearly four months old. It still has me marveling over it.

It will be interesting if your pullet develops broody hormones and continues to care for the chicks. You'll know it if you hear her communicating with the chicks in the typical broody "popping" vocals. Please do keep us posted!

 

[BrittsChickens]

Everything has been going great with my chickens! Henny Penny never goes far from her adoptees. I open the coop and let my chickens free range every day for a couple of hours. My older chickens (Annie, Chippie, and Charlie) all go out right away, but Henny Penny stays in the coop/run with her chicks and does these cute squeaking noises at them. She doesn't seem to mind me peeking in and holding the chicks, but my kids make her nervous- they are noisy and bounce around a lot... so she glares at them and makes a high-pitched cluck when she sees them coming out. We are working on proper chicken environment behavior

The first night (like I said before) I kept Henny Penny inside in our "broody." Sunday I put her and the chicks in the coop/run and closed it up so the other chickens couldn't get in (they didn't want to anyway, they prefer to free range). It was kind of chilly Sunday night, so I brought Henny and the babies inside again (I was concerned that she would ditch them and they would die of exposure). I put my little family back in the coop on Monday and they stayed the night out there- it was a VERY warm night and I set up a little spot for the chicks to go if they got cold (just in case Henny didn't keep them warm). They were all in the coop today and everyone is doing great! When I checked the coop tonight, all of my girls were huddled up in a nesting box and all three babies were cuddled underneath of them! I thought it was pretty awesome... especially since 1. my girls are not yet laying eggs (since they are only about 4 months old), 2. they are Crested Cream Legbars, and don't usually go broody, and 3. Annie and Chippie are not the nicest to the little ones (they will give them a good peck on the head if they get underfoot- don't worry, no damage has been done! I keep a close eye on the chicks!).
*whew* That's my update!

I love reading the stories of other people and their chickens! Thanks for sharing your stories so others can learn

 

[micah wotring]

Gr8! I'm glad for ya!

 

[azygous]

Thanks for the update! I'm relieved that Henny is continuing to nurture the chicks. And I'm also glad and relieved you're keeping an eye on her in case she gets fickle.

The "squeeking" noises she makes is called tid-bitting. It means "come here and eat this!" That Henny has fallen into this role at the drop of a hat is simply a marvel. Usually, it requires broody hormones to get a hen into the "mood" to be a mother to chicks. You may have the rare Cream Legbar that does go broody. I think she still may develop broody hormones, and it will be good if she does as it will show she's committed.

I have a Speckled Sussex broody hen who hatched a single Cream Legbar chick and she's doing a smashing job of nurturing her while her "natural" mama glances at the pair occasionally with minimal curiosity. Same with the Cream Legbar rooster. To say that Cream Legbars are indifferent to parenthood is giving them too much credit.

 

[BrittsChickens]

Thanks for the update! I'm relieved that Henny is continuing to nurture the chicks. And I'm also glad and relieved you're keeping an eye on her in case she gets fickle.

The "squeeking" noises she makes is called tid-bitting. It means "come here and eat this!" That Henny has fallen into this role at the drop of a hat is simply a marvel. Usually, it requires broody hormones to get a hen into the "mood" to be a mother to chicks. You may have the rare Cream Legbar that does go broody. I think she still may develop broody hormones, and it will be good if she does as it will show she's committed.

I have a Speckled Sussex broody hen who hatched a single Cream Legbar chick and she's doing a smashing job of nurturing her while her "natural" mama glances at the pair occasionally with minimal curiosity. Same with the Cream Legbar rooster. To say that Cream Legbars are indifferent to parenthood is giving them too much credit.

How fascinating that the Cream Legbars don't show any interest at all! I'm glad that you have a happy momma to adopt your baby. I have read great things about Speckled Sussex with their young. Is your chick a full CL? Or is it possible to know? I'm very curious about your situation!

Annie (another CL) will go in and sit with Henny every so often, and will even snuggle close when it's chilly out. My 3rd CL, Chippie, shows no interest and free-ranges with Charlie all day- barely going into the coop at all. Once in awhile she will peck a baby on the head, but Henny yells at her, and Chippie leaves them alone for a couple of days. It's fascinating to watch her take this motherly role. I didn't think that I would ever see her go broody or raise chicks.

 

[azygous]

My Sussex Linda with her Cream Legbar chick Ladybug, time lapse. Ladybug is now seven weeks and Linda is still nurturing her.

Yes, Ladybug is a pure CLB. Both mom and pop were hatchery purchases. It was easy to select the CLB eggs since they were the sole blue ones at the time.

I just adore Legbars! But both the older ones won't have anything to do with me while their offspring is as tame and friendly and lap conditioned as one could possible be. I attribute that to Linda being a lap/hug hog and she taught Ladybug that my lap was the optimum place to hang out in her spare time.

 

[chick-habit]

I'm so glad I found this post! I have 3 Crested Cream Legbar pullets that are 16 weeks old (and a roo-mutt who is about 13 weeks old-but he isn't involved yet- haha). Yesterday I bought 3 more chicks (2 are about 3 days old, and one is about a week old) and then experimented with my pullets (individually) to see if they would "adopt"my new chicklets... I knew it was a long shot, but after several hours, one of my girls took to them. I put each pullet in a dog-crate-turned-broody with the chicks and closely monitored them for about an hour. First was Annie, whose comb is a deep pink. She didn't mind the chicks, but I think they annoyed her. She pecked at one in a not-so-nice way, so I swapped her out for Chippie, who is the largest of my girls. Chippie didn't want to be in the broody-box, and she was constantly searching for a way out. After a little over an hour, I gave up and in came Henny Penny (who I thought would be the best choice of the 3 anyway- I was saving her as my last resort). She was terrified at first, and would jump every time a chick moved. Then she bedded down and watched them. Once they were tuckered out, they laid next to Henny Penny. That's when I started "checking" on them every half-hour or so. At the hour mark, I noticed 2 chicks missing, and one laying out under the heat lamp. I snuck in for a closer look and realized that the 2 "missing" chicks were cuddled comfortably under a very glaring mommy chicken!!! (YAY!!!) I wanted to make sure that baby #3 (Brownie) would be alright, so I checked in every hour (and left the heat lamp on so she would stay warm). After a few hours (and another "play-time") Brownie was comfortably sleeping under momma-bird. This morning, and throughout the day, everyone is happy. I love hearing Henny Penny cluck and purr to her babies!!! This afternoon I took it a step further and put all 4 of them in the coop. I let Annie, Chippie, and Charlie (my roo) out to free range, then I scrubbed down the coop before I put all three chicks in it. Before I could even turn around, Henny Penny was running across the yard, clucking angrily at me for taking her babies away! She walked right into the coop and settled in with the chicks. I have been checking on them every couple of hours to make sure everything is okay. Hopefully the rest of my flock won't mind the additions

Aw. She's a teen mom.

 

[huntersmommy611]

I have two 8 week old chicks and an EE that has just decided to go broody. We purchased the chicks and were trying to integrate with the EE and all of a sudden she decides to build a nest and keep her egg under her. Would this be a good time to put the chicks in with her?