HELP! Intoducing broody silkie hen to four-week-old chicks today

[joebryant]

In about six hours I will be bringing home two broody black silkie hens and one blue silkie rooster; all three are one year old. I am giving the rooster and one of the hens to another guy who wants them, so I will have one silkie hen that's broody to introduce to my ten four-week-old blue Orpington chicks.
What should I do? Will she try to kill my chicks if I put her with them, or will she adopt them as hers? Will they try to hurt her?

 

[Jades Chickens]

Are you trying to get the hen to mother the chicks? If so I am pretty sure it isn't going to work. I would be shocked if it did. If you mean you are just going to put them in the same pen they will probably be ok. I don't think that the hen will try to kill the chicks. The chicks definatly won't hurt her. The hen may peck at the chicks a little. You will just have to try it out and see what happens.

 

[coffeemama]

Yeah-she won't mother them at that age. Just put her in there and watch them for a bit. If she is drawing blood-separate them for a few more weeks.

 

[joebryant]

There's no problem. Anne and I thought the silkies were so neat that we decided to keep all three. They're now in a large dog crate in the garage. Within a week or two, I'll have a new coop built for them.
BTW, there is a blue hen, a black hen, and a blue rooster. Gotta luv 'em.

 

[joebryant]

That was a QUICK romance. I just now took the rooster that was continuously crowing along with the black hen and gave them to the guy whom I was originally going to give them to. Great looking, sweet rooster, but his never-ending crowing was driving me bananas.
I put the blue hen in with the ten four-week-old blue Orpingtons, and you'd've thought that she had always been in there with them. No problem whatsoever from/for her or the babies.
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL!

 

[Jades Chickens]

I just had to write and say that is pretty funny.