We know broody hens. How about a nanny hen?

[ValerieJ]

My chicks aren't out of the incubator yet, but I'm getting excited to set up the brooder in the coop outdoors. I have both a mama heating pad and a sweeter heater...just need to figure out the best set up. I even have a hen who just might get interested in them! Can't wait to see how it all works out with yours!!!

 

[Lovem all]

That reminds me of my hen Nana (The 5 year old named before we even knew she was a nanny) A few week old chick escaped it's pen and got out with the big girls, she protected the baby all night and saved her from the other girls, she didn't even want to leave her behind.

 

[birdlover2]

Wow! That is so cool! A good reason why you should keep your older birds lol Su-su is worth her weight in gold!

 

[azygous]

It went pretty well. The chicks and Su-su are sleeping in the coop tonight, dedicated to only them. I just finished "tucking" them in.

It all depended on Su-su being in agreement for this. She wasn't at first. But that's why I gathered them all up in a pet carrier and carted them into the coop two hours ahead of dark time. They settled right in eating the food I placed with them.

At bedtime, Su-su decided on a corner in front of the door. She ignored the nest box where I'd placed the cat bed, so I moved it to the spot she had chosen. She settled in and the chicks all followed suit. It sure is easier getting chicks to accept being moved to a new place to sleep when they have a nanny hen telling them it's okay.

 

[Chicalina]

og I'm dying from that cuteness!

 

[ValerieJ]

I'm so hoping one of my hens will take to my new day olds, just hatched in the bator. I'm putting them in the coop tomorrow with their own space and a mama heating pad. But, if Girlie Girl takes an interest, I'll put her in there in a heartbeat. She has been broody for so long, and even sat on eggs, with nothing to show for it. Could happen, I suppose. If not, I'm following @azygous advice to put them in the coop earlier rather than later. Hopefully they will integrate better.

 

[centrarchid]

What is procedure to get hen and chicks to bond?

 

[azygous]

This hen has done this once before, and even though there have been several batches of chicks since, she hasn't bonded with chicks again until now. I have no clue why she has decided to adopt these chicks, and she is obviously sporting some broody hormones, also.

She's lame, doesn't get around like a normal hen, so I stuck her in the brooder pen with these newest chicks so she wouldn't need to endure the hassle she sometimes gets from the roosters. The chicks took right to her since she has never pecked at them like the other adults.

There must be something about small chicks that can trigger limited broody hormones. I believe it's these hormones that are causing her to bond with the chicks.The other time she did this, she went partially broody, too.

Now for the evening update. The task tonight was to begin to teach the chicks, who are four and a half weeks old, to go into the coop. I have a partitioned run and this really helps when I need to do something like this and I don't want the entire flock underfoot. I closed off the run except for this one section adjacent to the grow-out coop.

Then I put Su-su into the coop. Because she's lame, she has a difficult time going in on her own, but we made it work. After Su-su was inside, I went around to the people entrance and entered armed with a can of scratch and some meal worms. I also had my clicker that I've been training the chicks to come when they hear it.

I sprinkled some scratch grain on the floor of the brooder, clicked the clicker, and Su-su did her broody vocal, calling the chicks to come get the treats. I left the chicks alone to figure out how to jump up to the pop hole and enter the coop. It took them about five minutes, and all four were in. Su-su made this super easy. I should put her on the payroll.

 

[ValerieJ]

This hen has done this once before, and even though there have been several batches of chicks since, she hasn't bonded with chicks again until now. I have no clue why she has decided to adopt these chicks, and she is obviously sporting some broody hormones, also.

She's lame, doesn't get around like a normal hen, so I stuck her in the brooder pen with these newest chicks so she wouldn't need to endure the hassle she sometimes gets from the roosters. The chicks took right to her since she has never pecked at them like the other adults.

There must be something about small chicks that can trigger limited broody hormones. I believe it's these hormones that are causing her to bond with the chicks.The other time she did this, she went partially broody, too.

Now for the evening update. The task tonight was to begin to teach the chicks, who are four and a half weeks old, to go into the coop. I have a partitioned run and this really helps when I need to do something like this and I don't want the entire flock underfoot. I closed off the run except for this one section adjacent to the grow-out coop.

Then I put Su-su into the coop. Because she's lame, she has a difficult time going in on her own, but we made it work. After Su-su was inside, I went around to the people entrance and entered armed with a can of scratch and some meal worms. I also had my clicker that I've been training the chicks to come when they hear it.

I sprinkled some scratch grain on the floor of the brooder, clicked the clicker, and Su-su did her broody vocal, calling the chicks to come get the treats. I left the chicks alone to figure out how to jump up to the pop hole and enter the coop. It took them about five minutes, and all four were in. Su-su made this super easy. I should put her on the payroll.

I love that!!! I'm moving my 2 day chicks out to the coop today. It sure would be nice if Girlie Girl would take an interest in them. I think I'll know if she hangs out at the fence divider with them. I wouldn't dare just put her in there. It would be so much better for the chicks.

 

[azygous]

Last night the little family zipped into the coop as soon as I clicked the clicker and tossed a few grains of scratch.

This morning, Su-su demoted Lilith as granny hen. Kicked her butt, she did. I removed the banished granny, and Su-su pointedly made a big show of plucking bits of FF from the chick feeder and feeding her chicks.