Last fall I had a broody silkie and ended up having her foster 10 Black Stars... She was a great mom and the babies did incredibly well and had a higher survival rate once free ranging than did the 15 other black stars... She probably would have mothered them all but it was too cold for her to be able to keep everyone warm and I was really impressed with their mothering ways... Other hens I've had go broody loose interest really fast and the chicks often get taken by who knows what, but not with my broody silkie 
So this spring I brought home 10 redstars... about a day after I had to rescue one of my silkie hens from the jaws of a rescued dog we are fostering... Normally when I have one that needs a little TLC they go into the brooder, but I had chicks in there... This particular hen hadn't gone broody before, but was super docile and I decided to put her in with the chicks and see what happened... I kept a close eye just in case... She wasn't quite sure what to do with them, but she wasn't mean to them, and they quickly claimed her as their mom... BUT it was cold outside and I wasn't sure she could keep all ten warm, so I caught my momma from last year and put her in too... She was more interested in bullying the other hen than the chicks, but once their tussle was over she took an interest in the chicks... cooing and clucking at them. The two hens were put back out into the smaller coop/run and are happily caring for the babies... The maiden hen even learned from the other hen how to talk and cluck to the babies...
In the meantime the dog had gone after ANOTHER hen (he's now staying at my daughter's so he can't cause anymore mischeif), this one was a little worse off and I was worried she wouldn't make it. But after a week she was clucking and scratching and I during this time MORE chicks that I had ordered arrived, this time silkies... they came from the breeder as 2 weeks old... and I didn't think they'd do as well with an adoptive mom, but figured it couldn't hurt to try, if it didn't work out the hen was ready to go back out on her own and the brooder would have plenty of room for the new arrivals. The hen didn't vocalize like the others had, but she seemed so happy to have company, even if it was just these 12 little chicks... In the following two days they learned that she worked as well as the lamp to keep them warm and I was pretty pleased with how they were getting along. I had one remaining silkie who was this silkies best friend... she had gotten into my garden (she's smart for a silkie) so I caught her and introduced her to the new chicks and her best friend... They were SO happy to see each other! The last silkie wasn't overly thrilled with the babies, but she wasn't mean to them... That night most of the babies huddled under the two hens and I turned off the lamp the following night and they were all sleeping together. I've put them into the pen with the other hens and the redstars... the other hens were NOT happy to see the new arrivals, but once they sorted themselves out all was well.
Last night was the first night with everyone in the same coop, I went out to check on everyone, the two orginal hens were sleep on one end with the redstars, and the other two hens on the other end slept with the silkie chicks.. One of the hens to the redstars is NOT happy with with co mingling of "her" chicks and the silkie chicks. And they chicks pretty much segregate themselves...I put down two trays of food and they are all doing well....
This probably won't work out as well for others, but I just thought I'd share because I thought it was cool!
So this spring I brought home 10 redstars... about a day after I had to rescue one of my silkie hens from the jaws of a rescued dog we are fostering... Normally when I have one that needs a little TLC they go into the brooder, but I had chicks in there... This particular hen hadn't gone broody before, but was super docile and I decided to put her in with the chicks and see what happened... I kept a close eye just in case... She wasn't quite sure what to do with them, but she wasn't mean to them, and they quickly claimed her as their mom... BUT it was cold outside and I wasn't sure she could keep all ten warm, so I caught my momma from last year and put her in too... She was more interested in bullying the other hen than the chicks, but once their tussle was over she took an interest in the chicks... cooing and clucking at them. The two hens were put back out into the smaller coop/run and are happily caring for the babies... The maiden hen even learned from the other hen how to talk and cluck to the babies...
In the meantime the dog had gone after ANOTHER hen (he's now staying at my daughter's so he can't cause anymore mischeif), this one was a little worse off and I was worried she wouldn't make it. But after a week she was clucking and scratching and I during this time MORE chicks that I had ordered arrived, this time silkies... they came from the breeder as 2 weeks old... and I didn't think they'd do as well with an adoptive mom, but figured it couldn't hurt to try, if it didn't work out the hen was ready to go back out on her own and the brooder would have plenty of room for the new arrivals. The hen didn't vocalize like the others had, but she seemed so happy to have company, even if it was just these 12 little chicks... In the following two days they learned that she worked as well as the lamp to keep them warm and I was pretty pleased with how they were getting along. I had one remaining silkie who was this silkies best friend... she had gotten into my garden (she's smart for a silkie) so I caught her and introduced her to the new chicks and her best friend... They were SO happy to see each other! The last silkie wasn't overly thrilled with the babies, but she wasn't mean to them... That night most of the babies huddled under the two hens and I turned off the lamp the following night and they were all sleeping together. I've put them into the pen with the other hens and the redstars... the other hens were NOT happy to see the new arrivals, but once they sorted themselves out all was well.
Last night was the first night with everyone in the same coop, I went out to check on everyone, the two orginal hens were sleep on one end with the redstars, and the other two hens on the other end slept with the silkie chicks.. One of the hens to the redstars is NOT happy with with co mingling of "her" chicks and the silkie chicks. And they chicks pretty much segregate themselves...I put down two trays of food and they are all doing well....
This probably won't work out as well for others, but I just thought I'd share because I thought it was cool!
