Will a hen with new chicks accept week old babies as well?????

[Burleigh Chick]

I have a staggered hatch in the incubator at the moment. Chicken eggs and turkey eggs set the same day. I have a cochin who is full on broody as of this morning, I wonder if I give her the turkey eggs to hatch and once they are all out of the shells, add the chickens that will have hatched a week earlier??????? do you think she will accept the week older babies... I hate to not use a broody hen if I have one, but I only really have one nursery space..... advice!!

 

[sumi]

I'd let her hatch the turkey eggs, or the chicken eggs and hatch and raise the others myself. It's unlikely that she will accept week-old babies, not saying she's not going to, but it's unlikely.

 

[tec27]

I tried this before. She attacked those things like a crazed maniac. She actually grabbed one and started shaking it while it was in her mouth. lol. Not going to try that again.

 

[Burleigh Chick]

Hmmm, that's kinda what I thought, she didn't ever go fully broody so not a question now...