Help! Eggs Hatched 5 Days Apart under Broody

[sjango]

I’m looking for some advice here. I had a broody hatching eggs because that was her will, and the first 4 hatched on day 20 and 21. I candled the rest and put two more that looked alive back under her. The last two hatched on day 26 and she seemed to be aggressive with them so I separated them.

She’s been a great mother to the other chicks so far. Should I try to reintroduce them or is it unlikely she will accept them because of the age difference?

a picture for interest;

 

[sourland]

You can try, but monitor closely. It is unlikely that she will accept chicks as most hens imprint on their chicks within the first 24-36 hours.

 

[sjango]

You can try, but monitor closely. It is unlikely that she will accept chicks as most hens imprint on their chicks within the first 24-36 hours.

Maybe I should have left them with her, but what worried me is that she was pecking them while they were trying to hatch. She didn’t do that with any of the others.

 

[sourland]

Staggered hatches are generally a disaster. Sounds as if she still had instinct to set but also wanted to protect her hatched chicks from strangers/competitors. Not at all uncommon behavior. It is somewhat unusual that she remained setting on the eggs. Most hens leave the nest site within 24 to 36 hours after the first chick hatches.

 

[sjango]

Staggered hatches are generally a disaster. Sounds as if she still had instinct to set but also wanted to protect her hatched chicks from strangers/competitors. Not at all uncommon behavior. It is somewhat unusual that she remained setting on the eggs. Most hens leave the nest site within 24 to 36 hours after the first chick hatches.

I was surprised she kept setting, and hopeful she may still take them in. Around 5:30AM I put them under her with the others and have been watching since, so far so good we'll see what happens once everyone is more awake.

 

[sjango]

Update, she took one back and still doesn’t like the other. Funny enough it was the only yellow chick, all the rest were black. I took that one away, seems healthy enough.