Hi, joined looking for answer.

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So I have been working the last couple of days, but still keeping an eye on her. She stopped laying after the 5 eggs. And she has barely moved. If I try to shoo her she snaps and peaks at me which she has never done and she also makes a low growly noise like a cat. She does appear to be eating and drinking. I was going to head out and get some chicks today, a local seller has white buff, Chantecler and buff Cornish, 3 weeks old for sale. I was thinking about getting a few of each, but I will have to keep them separated from Sue and her eggs.
 
If you had a rooster they should be fertile Good Luck and Welcome to BYC glad you joined us!
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I was speaking with the people who gave us the chicks last fall, and he told me that Sue is a Blue Australorp. I have been researching the 3 other breeds that I am going to get tomorrow and I think I will probably get only chantecler's. The Cornish are more of a meat bird and white buff's are apparently very noise (roosters). I am going to separate them in the coop, but I was wondering how do brood hens normally react to chicks? I would hope that she 'mothers' them, but I suspect and fear she will try and kill them.
 
No no no no no...... don't even show her the chicks... first of all they are too old to be fosyered... second of all she's broody... if she accepts them she might abandon the other eggs... third of all and the most likely she'll peck them to death if you just toss them in front of her... a person should have lots of experience with peeps to take such risks and it take skills... the best best option is to order some chicks from the desired breed... they should be a day or two old... and they should arrive at the day of hatchings of the broodies' eggs... so she will think they are hers and raise them with her chicks... if that is a bit hard on you get the chicks that you talked about and raise the separately from her.... but my option saves a lot of time and money and it's much easier and healthier and the chicks will be much happier.... good luck in what ever you will choose.... ;)
 
Based on this discussion, I decided not to get any new chicks until we see what is going to happen with Sue. It is only another week or so and an answer will be had. Thank you for the advice. In 4 years of meat kings, I have only lost 4 out of about 120 chicks. I didn't lose any egg layers until this little turn of events and I would hate to do the wrong things and lose more chickens. Also I will start catching and relocating the racoons again. I did this about 3 years ago and between the neighbour and I we caught 45 racoons in a month and a half. We would drive them about 3 kilometers away, over 2 river systems and release them. Lots of trips down that old dirt road.
 

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