Putting chicks under a broody (need advice)

[MarkJr]

I’m at a disadvantage here though. My broody took 5 two day old chicks at 2 in the afternoon. I’d swear she’d incubate my work boots and adopt a Great Dane if it meant she could be a momma hen.

 

[MarkJr]

I personally wouldn’t isolate them. Momma will take care of business.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I personally wouldn’t isolate them. Momma will take care of business.

I have two 15 week roosters. One rooster is afraid of me, but a horndog for sure. He never leaves the poor hens alone. The other rooster is on the bottom of the totem pole and always tries to show me his fancy feet, presumably to attempt to dominate me. I'm just concerned hormones would make them go after the babies. Ironically, the broody mama raised one of those roosters! I caught him this morning trying to peck at her eggs, but I think it was out of curiosity.

It would really just be so much easier to leave her in the nest box where she is. First time she was broody, the other hens broke a bunch of her eggs, but this time she's been good about staying in the correct box, and keeping other hens out, so there have been no mishaps aside from the few times she got on the wrong nest in the early days of her broodiness.

I really want this to work, because her babies belong to one of the hens that the bear killed, and it would mean a lot to have her offspring. A small consolation.