Older chicks brooding new babies?

[kaleighmarie1213]

My 3 older chicks are 4 weeks old. We just hatched 5 silkie babies in the last 24 hrs. I originally was going to split them up because of age difference but wanted to see if they could live together... and beyond my surprise not only did they accept the chicks, the older chicks started letting the babies nest under their wings. They're so content! My older chicks even pecked at my hand if I reach in at the babies. I'm watching them closely but so far it's just love in the brooder. Is this common?? I've heard within 2 weeks of age the often will accept babies as siblings but never heard of the 4wk old chicks becoming surrogate moms.

 

[CloneFly]

How precious!

 

[Dharmachick]

I hatch a lot of chicks and yes, the older chicks sometimes brood the hatchlings. It always warms my heart to see this happen. I have a failure to thrive chick who does this. She is actually thriving now, and still broods the younger ones. I have put her with 3 different hatches now. We call her Nanny Ftt.