Will broody hen adopt chicks?

[KerenR]

I am going to try it tonight with my first broody hen! So nervous and excited!

 

[cochinfan05]

Quick question. I have a broody cochin bantam. In the past when my 2 standard cochins were broody I had to let them hatch or I would be fighting with them for months. Unfortunatley she keeps escaping my broody pen (which the standards never did) to go to the nest boxes in the coop. She can't hatch them there because everyone wants to lay in the same box and we'll end up with broken eggs. I'm getting chicks on the 23rd, how many standard chicks can you give a bantam and do you think she'd stay in the broody area with them or take them to the coop? (She flies over the fence but I'm sure the chicks could go through the fence?) Sorry not such a short question.

 

[ChickLover4Life]

Hi everyone,
I just have a quick question about my broody Buff Orpington. She has been broody for about 2 weeks now, I'm going to purchase a couple of chicks for her to adopt but should I put them under her while she's in the coop or should I remove her put the chicks & then place her back so she won't see the trade.
This is also the first time I have a broody hen!
Thanks!

 

[cochinfan05]

I would just slip then under after dark. I wouldn't move her. Put them right under her belly and listen for a bit. She should start talking to them. It's super sweet

 

[Henrietta2]

Check out this YouTube of a broody hen adopting chicks:

 

[janedough]

We've got a couple of little Domineckers that are trying to be broody, and I've got some Dominecker, New Hampshire and Buff Orpington chicks coming. I'm thinking about trying to get the Domineckers to adopt the babies. I had a Dominecker hen as a kid who stole a litter of puppies and brooded them. She ran mama clean out of the doghouse and took the pups. She'd let mama come in and nurse them every few hours, but when the pups were done, she ran mama out again and brooded the pups.

 

[keeweekid]

FYI,
I have a GL Wynadotte who has gone broody at least one time every 2-3 mos....I don't have any roos so I have no fertile eggs. I finally got desperate enough to try putting 3 week old chicks under her (the youngest a neighbor friend had). She accepted them instantaneously at night. So cute to see her peck their little heads back under her wings as the weather was really cold that night. I suppose the younger the chicks are, the better, but I didn't have any problems.

 

[Lucy Jones]

We had a beautiful broody Pekin hen, Rainbow who hatched out 3 chicks recently. Sadly last weekend badger broke into our broody coop killing Rainbow and 2 of the chicks. We had an orphan, Custard, 2 weeks old. He/she was on her own and cheeping constantly. My 7 year old daughter spend the entire day hugging her but when it was time for her to got go bed, Custard was distraught again. So we took chance and put Custard in a darkened coop under one of our Silkies ( who are always broody). We knew it was not a great chance of adoption as Custard was 2 weeks old, but the Silkie made all the right noises and it seemed to go well. All the next day we listened and took the occasional peek and all was well. We were elated. Then on the second day, after 36 hours we decided to lift the blanket and allow light in. The hen went crazy and tried to attack the chick. This was terrible as I was trying to leave for work and we were getting the kids off to school. My husband suggested we darkened the coop again and popped the chick under. We did this, with success which surprised us. That was 3 days ago. Both Mum and chick are happy in the dark but we are too scared to lift the blanket again. Any suggestions?

 

[WindyHillFarm]

I too, have had great luck getting a broody hen to adopt. Have not had the light / dark issue though. Really wish I had a broody hen now to adopt the ones inside my brooder! They do great with a mama chicken to take care of them.

 

[Lmeeks75]

Are these chicks too old to introduce to a broody hen?