Hen adopting chicks

[SarahR_87]

Hi there! I have two broody hens. One a buff Orpington, who has gone broody once before, and the other a Cochin never been broody at all. It’s been 5 days and I want to grow my flock, they seen to be very committed, would it be okay to put chicks under them? I’ve heard that broody chickens can adopt young chicks. How long they have been broody does that matter?

 

[sourland]

In my experience the longer the hen has been setting and whether or not she is an experienced mother are both positive factors in fostering chicks. Breed can also be a factor. Simply slip the chicks under her at night and check early the next morning to make sure things are going well. Good luck.

 

[aart]

Longer hen has been broody, and the younger the chicks are...the better.
Have Plan B ready, just in case.

 

[Blue Raptor]

Make sure she isn’t in a high nesting box, or in reach of other hens. You need to wait a couple of days for her to get attached before you let them in to the flock, and she will protect them from picking. We took a drawer full of straw and put her in it, gave her some time to get used to it, then she got the chicks. They lived there for a few days, then she and the chicks were free! She is an Australorp named Fluff, and she’s gotten broody a lot before.

 

[Veb]

 

[Veb]

This little Hamburg hen raised 4 silkie eggs to chicks was a wonderful mum. Slipped the eggs under her when broody, worked well separated them all into seperate yard until chicks became older then introduced to rest of flock which they could see through the dividing wire fence.