Not a great broody hen but I guess better than a light bulb...

[zowieyellowflame]

I had a barred rock hen that has been broody for several days now. This is a hen that I hatched out from an incubator. She has always been a little strange. She doesn't scratch around much, doesn't act like a normal chicken. I always assumed it was because she was an incubator chick. She is low on the pecking order. She does not sit regularily so I knew she would be a bad one to sit on eggs. So for some reason I thought she could look after a couple chicks. I went to a local breeder and picked up a australop and 2 br's. I stuck them under her and instantly she took to them. I placed them in a boarded off area. I went out this AM and she had LEFT! She was in an adjacent box that the chicks could not access. She was calling them, they were cold and crying! She is also unable to keep them safe from the other hens so I built a little coop within the big coop. Hope she holds together! Fingers crossed!

 

[gritsar]

I have a silkie named Jethro that was dumber than a box of rocks for the first few days with her chicks, both hatched and store bought. She finally got the idea though and is now an excellent mama.

 

[zowieyellowflame]

She is getting better! Yesterday I had her in the big coop without the other chickens. I then put her chicks in the broody pen that has a cover on half of it. She stood on its top that is covered by hardware cloth. She was frantic, she didn't realize she only had to step to the left to find the entrance.
Today, she realized it right away! Sure, her chicks don't listen to her, and if one goes missing because I pick it up, she forgets about it but atleast right now she is keeping them warm!