Surrogate Mom?

[Lilorp14]

So my entire flock was wiped out except for 2 hens last night. The only ones left are my neurotic, halfwit, funny hen and my sweet Jersey Giant girl who was the smallest of our flock. The JG went broody last year and raised a Roo who unfortunately died during the massacre. Since I need to repopulate and my mother refuses to let another chicken be raised in our house (dust), I was thinking of letting my JG hen go broody, running to my local Southern Sates, grabbing some chicks, and popping them under her in the dark of night. I think I once heard that someone did this successfully, but I just wanted to know for sure. The only flaws I see in it are

A) Mama rejects them
B) Spinner, the neurotic hen who has a reputation as a ruthless bully, will kill them. (Separate mama & babies out)
C) Babies reject mama and don't heed her warnings about the big wide world.

Thoughts?

 

[AlleysChicks]

1.)find out how if an animal got into your coop and fox it.

2.) you could be waiting forever for the broodiness to hit.

3.) if you introduce chicks to a non broody, she will kill them.

4.) is there a place outside to brood chicks? A garage?
5.) sorry about losing most of your chickens

 

[HuskerHens18]

I have done it once, it worked out perfect. Definitely keep away from Spinner, for whatever reason other chickens hate babies.

I had a broody sitting on dead eggs,
I ordered 25 chicks,
they arrived in two days,
Waited until about 10pm,
Shoved them all under her and a broody next to her,
They raised happy babies together.

So if your Jersey Giant goes broody, I'd say go for it. I'd only do a few chicks though if you can, just in case something goes wrong. Then you don't lose a lot of babies.

 

[Lilorp14]

1.)find out how if an animal got into your coop and fox it.

2.) you could be waiting forever for the broodiness to hit.

3.) if you introduce chicks to a non broody, she will kill them.

4.) is there a place outside to brood chicks? A garage?
5.) sorry about losing most of your chickens

I had gone to the library at about 2 pm and when i came home at 5 they were all cold and stiff. They had been let out so there's no problem with the coop. The hen goes broody about 3 times per spring consistently for the past 3 years.