New chicks with one older hen

[mother hen7]

I recently lost all of my flock but one. I got new chicks and wanted to place my one hen with the chicks in their coop and hoping she will be broody. Is this a good idea or should I wait? Has anyone done this? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[50-45-1]

Dont do it.
If your hen has not been broody for 3 weeks, it's likely she may hurt or even kill chicks.
You could put them in a partitioned section of the coop with screen or chicken wire to keep them separated.
Your chicks will still need a heat source inside or out until they are fully feathered.

 

[papajoesfarm]

50-45-1 is right. Do not put chicks in with an older hen. I had a situation 4 years ago when I needed to board 6 new chicks with an older hen - the hen was 9 years old, and used to being the Head Hen. I put the chicks in a brooder box away from the hen under a heat lamp, and in the meantime put up a screen made of wildlife mesh in the hen's coop, separating both her and the pop door from the coop entrance. When the chicks were feathered at 8 weeks, I put them into the separate area to home them to the coop. When they were ready to go out for the first time, they left through the main door. After the predictable pecking from the older hen, she basically ignored them, and they all wound up staying in the coop togethor without problems. At this point they were approximately three months old. Both the hen and the chicks were Silver Laced Wyandottes.

 

[mother hen7]

Dont do it.
If your hen has not been broody for 3 weeks, it's likely she may hurt or even kill chicks.
You could put them in a partitioned section of the coop with screen or chicken wire to keep them separated.
Your chicks will still need a heat source inside or out until they are fully feathered.

Okay. Thank you. I was just feeling bad for the older one (she is a year old) since she will be alone until the new ones are older.

 

[Warwickchickenhill]

Okay. Thank you. I was just feeling bad for the older one (she is a year old) since she will be alone until the new ones are older.

Can you give her a little time in the house with you? Just a thought

 

[rosemarythyme]

Okay. Thank you. I was just feeling bad for the older one (she is a year old) since she will be alone until the new ones are older.

She won't be alone TOO long. If you can spend some extra time with her, or give her some time out in the yard, a few extra treats, etc. she should be fine until the babies are ready to introduce to her.

 

[papajoesfarm]

You may be surprised at what happens when they all get togethor. In my case, the older hen was allowed out in the yard with the new girls, proceeded to peck and chase every one of the new girls away from the feeders. She ate a little feed from each, then stomped over to a pasture run, sat down, and glowered at the others. From then on she studiously ignored them, but they all moved away from the feeders when the older hen came over to eat. Just like the meanest bully in the schoolyard.

 

[Mamatomany123]

You may be surprised at what happens when they all get togethor. In my case, the older hen was allowed out in the yard with the new girls, proceeded to peck and chase every one of the new girls away from the feeders. She ate a little feed from each, then stomped over to a pasture run, sat down, and glowered at the others. From then on she studiously ignored them, but they all moved away from the feeders when the older hen came over to eat. Just like the meanest bully in the schoolyard.

That will depend on the hen. When I introduced my chicks my hens paid them. O mind. I had 1 hen who was set to kill them, we rehomed her, but all the other 10 treated them as the rest of the flock.

 

[papajoesfarm]

True. Not too many live to the age of this one. She died last November at 12 years old. Just like us humans, they get cranky when they get older.