HELP! Placing chicks under broody hen didn't go well

upto7

Hatching
8 Years
Jul 11, 2011
7
0
7
Here's the story. I have a free range hen that was sitting on unfertilized eggs for 2 1/2 weeks. The eggs were really stinky. She got off her nest for a while yesterday and I managed to remove all the eggs. I replaced the eggs with 3 egg shaped rocks. She accepted those as her eggs. I purchased 4 day old chicks from the feed store. Last night after dark - around 9 pm I went to her nesting place. (She made her nest behind a garage door panel leaning up against a building.) I tilted back the door panel so I could get to her and place the chicks. We had to use a flashlight so we could see where she was sitting. I took the chicks and placed them one at a time under her wings. I didn't get the rocks out. She began pecking at the chicks. The chicks were quiet and seemed happy to be with a mom. I put the door panel back in place and waited a couple of minutes to see how things would go. I could hear her pecking at the door panels. So, I tilted the panel back again and removed the chicks. I was concerned for their safety. I put the panel back.
So, now what do I do? Do I try this again tonight? I think I need to try to get the chicks under her belly and take away the rocks which I didn't do last night. She is a free range chicken that I adopted about 2 months ago. She really isn't used to being handled by humans. Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
 
There are of course exceptions but what you're trying to do usually doesn't work.
 

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