Too soon or Too late

[Bergiejo]

I recently ordered 5 buff orpington chicks and they are a week old today. When getting them set up in their brooder some of my other hens were nosey and checked out what I was doing. I noticed my Brahma hen that was broody around this time last year was very concerned about the chicks. The past few days or more she's been acting like she was going broody. Clucking and puffing up in the nesting box, but not quite fully committed or full blown broody like she was last year. I couldn't break her last year and thankfully she adopted 4 chicks from our feed supply store. She was definitely a great momma!

So is it too soon to assume my Brahma is going broody after only a few days of sitting on and off in the nesting boxes, and would she be ready to adopt the 5 chicks? Or is it too late for the chicks (week old today) to be adopted?

Thanks for your time and have a great week everyone!

 

[GlicksChicks]

It really depends on the mother hen if she accepts week old chicks or not. I have heard about people's hens accepting month old chicks, and some not even accepting 2 day old chicks.

I, personally would not risk it. She does not sound fully devoted to being broody. And at a week old, they are typically too old to be accepted by the mother hen.

I had adopted 4 chicks from TSC to put under my broody hen. I had bought them the same day they arrived, so they were supposed to be 1 day old. She did not accept 2 of them because I believe they were 2 or 3 days old. They had much more formed wings than the 2 of a different breed. So I took the 2 she didn't accept and raised them myself. She raised the 2 that actually looked 1 day old.

 

[Bergiejo]

I should mention yesterday I set up the bottom half of a medium sized dog crate and put some straw and eggs in it to see if the potential broody Brahma, who is on the xl size of hens, would sit on them, and last night and all day she's been on the eggs. With my kids checking every now and then, she appears to be super content sitting on them...as my son put it, she's almost flat like pancake on the eggs.

 

[GlicksChicks]

I should mention yesterday I set up the bottom half of a medium sized dog crate and put some straw and eggs in it to see if the potential broody Brahma, who is on the xl size of hens, would sit on them, and last night and all day she's been on the eggs. With my kids checking every now and then, she appears to be super content sitting on them...as my son put it, she's almost flat like pancake on the eggs.

It would be best to let her incubate eggs instead of putting chicks under her. Good luck!!