Do hens ever adopt chicks they did not hatch themselves?

[substandardtim]

we have three peeps in a wire cage out in the coop, the peeps are only 3 or 4 weeks old. we have 7 BO girls that I think are around 17-18 weeks cant rememebr the exact age right now. theyre big girls by now but are not laying yet.

anyways of the the girls is constantly staying in the coop, chasing the other girls away and even getting very pissy when my wife and I feed and water the chicks. in fact last night my wife had to lock the BO out of the coop because she kept pecking at my wife for touching the babies.

is it normal for a hen, pullet really to adopt chicks? even when she has never laid or set eggs before.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

We have a resident silikie hen in a rabbit hutch. When ever there is a hatch in the barn we put the chick in with her.

She is a riot. She mothers them like they were her own and she is VERY protective.

We have let her sit a few times and hatch out every thing from Guinea keets to white rocks.

She is a happy little camper.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
I have a silkie that will do the same thing. One time I made the mistake of adding a heat lamp when I put the chicks with her one night (she readily adopted and covered them). The next morning the confused chicks had moved to the heat lamp; she was obviously insulted and furious. I had to move them away from her by dividing the coop. That's the last time I will ever add a heat lamp, big mistake.

 

[barred-rocks-rock]

all the time

 

[speckledhen]

Here, the broodies try to kill each other's babies if they meet on range. They treat the other chick like it's a threat to theirs. If they are right at the hatch point or shortly thereafter, sometimes they will adopt others. I had a Buff Orp who hatched two babies adopt 25 chicks in the pen next to her about two weeks after hers hatched, though.

 

[FluffyColor]

Now I know what was wrong with Mrs.Joyce's hen.
Mrs.Joyce took the chicks I hatched out in March.We stayed there all day.My mom talked to Mrs.Joyce,and I helped her son collect eggs and what not.Anyway,I was petting one of the chicks.I turned around and this vog barred hen just stood behind us.???
After I put the chick down,she ran toward it.What the heck?I thought.I got in front of the chick in case the hen was going to hurt it.Mistake!The hen pushed me aside and sat near the chick.I had no idea what was her problem.Now I do.Thanks guys!I love BYC.