Putting Chicks under momma who already has chicks

[carbon county chicks]

So our momma hen hatched out 5 chicks last week. A neighbor just hatched out 16 chicks yesterday and honestly didn't expect that many to hatch. He gave us 4 of his. Can I put them under her and see if she'll take them? I know I'm supposed to do it at night. But how do I know if she doesn't want them? Will she kill them? I have no intentions of getting up before the sun comes up to see what happens. So if I go out there at 9:00 will I be too late? She's been a mean momma, wont let us get near her babies. That could be a good thing or a bad things with these chicks. Any suggestions?

 

[carbon county chicks]

So frustrating that the administration got rid of the chat in this forum! I hate posting a question and getting 0 responses.

 

[Mommy Melly]

We are facing the same thing. We tried this evening to offer the new chicks and she pecked at them like they were intruders

she is also a mean mama. Very good to her chicks but bites me when I go near them. We brought the new chicks inside and have them in the kitchen. My mom suggested taking two of her chicks and putting them with the new chicks for a few minutes then slowly offering them all back ...one new then one old. She thought maybe the sent would blend. I'd also love some advice on this.

Melanie

 

[JD4570]

This is a tricky situation y'all have got here! I'm not sure what kind of set up you have but I have large isolation cage that can have a wire divider set in the middle to keep both groups close, in which the momma thinks they're hers and have had some success that way. You might just have make a big brooder coop and put them in until they're old enough to be put with the rest of the flock. I'm not sure what to tell you.

 

[newchickmom]

I have a brooder pen in my coop so all the chickens can see each other. I had 2 batches of chicks a week apart and wanted to put them together with mama.

First, I just put an old board up in one corner of the brooder pen, to section it off for the younger chicks. Mama was able to hear them and could get to them if she wanted to. When she decided to join them and was throwing a fit to have them out of there, I just took the board out and let her have them. It was very funny watching a hen try to mother 35 chicks at the same time.