Is it possible for a hen to "adopt" chicks?

[jktowey]

Hi everyone!

Our little girl is only a few weeks old, but we're already discussing getting more chicks- partially so "PeekABoo" won't be alone, and also so we can start getting eggs. Would it be possible to somehow have PeekABoo "adopt" any chicks we get? Maybe get fertilized eggs, have them in the nest box and they hatch with her? As much as we've enjoyed having her brooding indoors (and as a hand raised chick, she gets a lot of roam time around the house), we really don't want 3-4 chicks running around, especially with as handsy as our 3 year old can get with PeekABoo. Thoughts?

 

[jktowey]

Just kidding - went through the search and found some great info about hens adopting chicks!

Next question would be getting the new chicks to be used to being around us... We live on Kauai and know that mama hens can be very protective of their chicks (my son almost got attacked by a hen once). Since PeekABoo has grown up around us, would we have this protectiveness issue? We'd like for any new chicks to be comfortable around us and the kids.

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but PeekABoo is your only chicken and she's a few weeks old? If so you will not be able to hatch eggs without an incubator as she would have to be broody, which can only happen after she begins laying (and some hens never go broody). Depending on PeekABoo's exact age, you might be able to add chicks in her brooder after they have aged a couple weeks. If PeekABoo is older, you'll likely have to raise new chicks in a brooder, then integrate everyone into one flock.

 

[jktowey]

Yes, she is our only chicken right now, and she's roughly 4-5 weeks (we aren't exactly sure as we took her in after finding her abandoned on Easter). We aren't planning to get new chicks right away, we still need to get a proper coop set up (she currently stays in our living and sunroom), so it may be a few weeks before we can get more chicks. If we need to get a full brooder set up, we can do that, but were just hoping to have her care for the chicks as we heard chicks can be very fragile and our boys get attached pretty quickly.