will a brooding hen except hatched chicks?

[toetoe]

My son lost his Bardrock hen in the winter. She died and he has been so sad.

I have 3 hens that have been brooding 1 for 3 weeks, one for 1 week and 1 for 3 days. I don't need any more of the kind of chicken I already have so I take their eggs and still they brood.
My son asked me if we could get another Bardrock for him.

So this is my question: If I buy 3 day old Bardrock chicks will one of the brooding hens take them under their wing, and if yes how would I go about doing this.

Also I have been offered Bardrock fertilized eggs. If I slip them under a Bantam hen will she hatch them?

Which would be easier?

Any help on this would be great. Thanks.

 

[Kittymomma]

It's not fool proof, but does work most of the time. It seems to work best if you slip chicks under a hen that has been broody for awhile so I'd go with the one that is working on 3-weeks and slip the chicks under her at night. Stick around and watch for awhile she should start cooing to them and settle back down. I'd do it on an evening when you can be home the next day and go out to the coop first thing in the morning just to make sure she's being a good mamma.

Your bantam hen will hatch anything you want to give her, she just won't be able to handle a dozen BR eggs, but if you want to slip 6 or so under her some night I'm sure she'd do just fine with them.

 

[toetoe]

Thank you for such a fast reply. I will do just that tomorrow.

It will be a wonderful surprise for my son. I will try the chicks (becouse at least then I will know I have a better chance for hens

) and if that dose not work out I will try with some eggs. Hope I don't get any roosters. Got three already.

 

[toetoe]

Thank you Kittymomma,

It worked...I bought 3 Bardrock chicks from the feed store yesterday. I had 3 golf balls under her, I slipped out the balls and slipped in the 3 chicks.
Waited about 30 sec.

and moma started cooing and settleing them in.
I did it at sun down, to wake up to a moma content with her 3 new chicks and showing them how to.

I'm sooo happy
Again thank you very much.

 

[Kittymomma]

That's good to hear. I bet your boy is happy too.