Grumpy broody hen

[PluckyJen]

Evening everyone from cooking hot Africa.
My silky mama just had a failed batch of eggs. She was super broody so I managed to find her some eggs but they didn't make it. Only two I could see the embryos didn't grow further. Rest were all rotten.
So now iv found 5 brand new chick's for her. Everyone says pop them under her at night and she will accept them. Well..I did it and dark or not she's wipping their butts. They are all huddled in the corner and she's in the other. Should I take her away and just raise the babies rather? I'm worried I wake up in the morning and she's killed the babies. They are in my bedroom in a big cage that said. Open to any suggestions please. Thank you. Jenny

 

[Ridgerunner]

So now iv found 5 brand new chick's for her. Everyone says pop them under her at night and she will accept them.

"Brand new chicks" probably means less than three days old.

That's how I do it and it almost always works. One time the hen rejected them. She did not hurt them, she just ignored them. The other time the hen accepted the red chicks and rejected the black ones.

When you deal with living animals you never know for sure how anything will work, practically anything can happen.

 

[PluckyJen]

Best answer. Thank you so much. I just re read my question and I haven't the foggiest why I said brand new babies LOL. These littlies are just over a week. Tiny things still. I agree, anything can happen. I'm going to go with my gut feeling and check up on her just now. If she's still huffy I'll take her away or try tomorrow again in day when I can watch her.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I thought that might have happened. A week old is probably too old. Some hens will adopt practically any chick even if they are older. Many won't. The chicks also need to imprint on the hen, that's easier to do in the first few days. I think those chicks were too old, you need to raise them yourself.

 

[PluckyJen]

I thought that might have happened. A week old is probably too old. Some hens will adopt practically any chick even if they are older. Many won't. The chicks also need to imprint on the hen, that's easier to do in the first few days. I think those chicks were too old, you need to raise them yourself.

OK great. Thanks so much. I'm still learning. Just when I think iv got the hang of something.. nature surprises me. Thank you for your help. Here's to me currently fostering 5 tiny bottle fed kittens and 5 little chickns .