(PLEASE HELP!) Raising chicks with a surrogate mother hen?

[switters]

We just got 9 beautiful little chickies yesterday. They arrived healthy and happy from MyPetChicken.

A friend of ours who has been raising chickens for 10+ years suggested that we put one of his Silkie hens in the brooder with the chicks. He said that this calms them considerably and that they "learn to be chickens". His experience is that chickens that are exclusively bonded to humans can be overly attached, i.e. they tend to follow you around and get underfoot. He believes that chickens are happier and better adjusted, so to speak, when raised by a chicken.

I asked him if putting a hen in there would make the chicks less interested in human contact. He said it wouldn't, as long as we handled them regularly.

So this morning we brought the Silkie over and put her in the brooder. At first it was very cute. She looked around, quite bewildered. Then she started to chirp at the chicks and check them out. Seemed like a good start.

But when we went down a couple of hours ago, the hen was pecking quite aggressively at the chicks. They were visibly (and audibly) disturbed, running away from the Silkie and bunching up on the opposite side of the brooder. The Silkie had one chick cornered and was really picking on her. We kind of panicked and took the Silkie out and put her in a cage. That's where she is now, because we're afraid to reintroduce her and leave her in the brooder with the chicks unattended.

We check on the chicks several times a day, but we can't just sit down there the whole day making sure the Silkie isn't terrorizing them.

So my question is, do we really need the Silkie in there? Is that kind of pecking behavior what it seems (i.e. aggressive and potentially harmful, rather than motherly)? Is there some better way to introduce the Silkie, or should we just send her back to our friend and mother the chicks ourselves?

Thanks again for your advice. It's really appreciated!

 

[teebo]

you do not need the silkie hen,that happened with one of my silkie mamas,i put babies under her,and the next day i went out to check and she had killed 3 of them.take her away from the asap,as she will kill them.mother them yourself,and try to handle them as much as possible,if you want them to be tame.

 

[shuizar209]

I am in that same situation. My mother hen hatched 7 chicks and I had hatched 1 myself. I tried introducing my little one to his brothers and sisters. But miss broody wouldnt have none of it.... She pecks him like crazy.... I am caring for him myself and he is turning out just fine.... good luck!!!!!!

 

[switters]

I think we're going to take the Silkie back to her home. The potential benefit doesn't seem worth the risk.

 

[erthymom2]

I have a young grey & white Easter Egger pullett that is my surrogate mother hen when needed. she was hatched and raised by me, and at 5 months I gave her a sick cochin chick to nurse back to health. since then they are inseperable buddys. everynight she has her under her wing in the coop.
I had a lone mille fluer eggs hatch yeserday (one i found in the coop behind some boards left by my other hens) and she has adopted that chick as well - i moved her and her buddy into the house in a large dog crate so they are all safe, warm and out of drafts. She is just the sweetest chicken!!

 

[switters]

I talked to my friend about our problem and he thought the Silkie might be just the wrong age. She's not a chick anymore, so she doesn't relate to the chicks on that level, but she's not an adult yet either, so perhaps she hasn't come into her full motherhood. That sounds possible. I just don't feel comfortable leaving her in there with the chicks, so I think she'll have to go.

 

[lichick28]

It would have helped if the silkie was broody & you put the chicks under her. I've done that & it worked out fine but you cant force a chicken to instantly be a mom to them. Take her from the chicks. She may want to teach them later on. I've had that happen too

 

[pdsavage]

Plus you just breached your bio security...The only way a hen will take chicks is if she is broody and she adopts them after you slip then under her usally at night...Just cause its a silkie doesnt mean it will mother them....