could our hens raise chicks?

[alex991]

I own 4 hens. They are all 2 years old and recently 2 of them have been brooding.if I bought a few chicks would my hens raise them? I have all the equipment and space to raise chicks but it would be a lot easier if my chickens would do it for me

 

[Pyxis]

Your hens might raise chicks for you, but they may not accept them as well. Make sure you get the youngest chicks you can and try to time it so that the hens have been sitting as close to 21 days as possible. Then, during the night, you can take the hen's eggs and replace them with the chicks. She may accept them and raise them, or she may reject them and ignore them. In serious cases the hen may actually kill the chicks if she rejects them, so be aware that that is a possibility. And I would have a brooder set up just in case the hens decide they don't want the chicks and you have to take care of them. Here is an article that may give you more information on broodies, if this is your first time:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks

 

[deathfromabove]

You can try the switcheroo, in the evening go out there with the chicks and pull the eggs out and but the babies in. Come moring she should be acting like she hatched them. Need to keep a close eye the first couple of days to make sure she accepts them.