Will hens adopt a few more?

[Hholly]

Hi all. I just got 2 hens with their 8 chicks that they care for interchangeably. The hens are wonderful mommas, very protective. The chicks are a bit over 2 weeks old. If I brought home about 4 new chicks, close in age, is there a way to get the hens to adopt them?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I suggest you do not try it. Some hens will try to mother about any chick they see, but the vast majority imprint on their chicks and the chicks imprint on the hen. If the chicks were three days old or less, I’d say there is a pretty good chance it will work, but even then there are no guarantees. Even if the hen tries to mother them, the chicks have not imprinted on her and may ignore her after that.

If you try I’d expect one of three things to happen. It’s possible it could work. The hen may force her authority on the chicks, mainly by talking to them and pecking them when they don’t do as she wishes. This is possible but not very likely.

It’s possible she will try to harm them as rivals to her chicks. This is also not real likely as long as you have enough room for the chicks to get away from the hen and her chicks but it happens.

What I really expect to happen is that the hen ignores the new chicks. If the chicks get too close to her babies she will probably try to drive them away and can injure them doing this but she probably will not seek them out to kill them. As long as they stay away she leaves them alone.

 

[Hholly]

I suggest you do not try it. Some hens will try to mother about any chick they see, but the vast majority imprint on their chicks and the chicks imprint on the hen. If the chicks were three days old or less, I’d say there is a pretty good chance it will work, but even then there are no guarantees. Even if the hen tries to mother them, the chicks have not imprinted on her and may ignore her after that.

If you try I’d expect one of three things to happen. It’s possible it could work. The hen may force her authority on the chicks, mainly by talking to them and pecking them when they don’t do as she wishes. This is possible but not very likely.

It’s possible she will try to harm them as rivals to her chicks. This is also not real likely as long as you have enough room for the chicks to get away from the hen and her chicks but it happens.

What I really expect to happen is that the hen ignores the new chicks. If the chicks get too close to her babies she will probably try to drive them away and can injure them doing this but she probably will not seek them out to kill them. As long as they stay away she leaves them alone.

Thanks, you've given me a lot to consider. I will probably try it with close supervision and have my back up plan in place.

If anyone has done something similar, I would love to hear how it went.
Thanks again!

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with Ridgerunner, pretty sure it will be the last one, although the others could happen, just not likely. Broody hens tend to be interested in their chicks for about 4 weeks, so your pair are half way through the set up. After that they forget about their chicks, and the chicks are on their own. If you add chicks now, and they did accept them, they would be on their own in two weeks anyway.

I have added chicks, but they were day olds, and I added them within hours of hatching.

The two week old chicks might harass the baby chicks too.

 

[Hholly]

I agree with Ridgerunner, pretty sure it will be the last one, although the others could happen, just not likely. Broody hens tend to be interested in their chicks for about 4 weeks, so your pair are half way through the set up. After that they forget about their chicks, and the chicks are on their own. If you add chicks now, and they did accept them, they would be on their own in two weeks anyway.

I have added chicks, but they were day olds, and I added them within hours of hatching.

The two week old chicks might harass the baby chicks too.

Good to know about the 4 week thing. Thanks!

 

[donrae]

I had a broody bantam cochin whose eggs started hatching early (I think due to the heat spell?). Anyway, 3 of 7 hatched and she left the nest. Usually I'd just toss the rest, but 4 eggs so close to hatching! I brought them in and put them in the incubator. They literally hatched one a day over the next four days. I put each chick in with her at night and she took it okay, but the 4 days was all she'd do. I had incubator babies hatching at the same time and thought well, if she's good with taking more chicks, why not? Day 5 was her cut off, though, she was not taking any more chicks. The 5th chick looked just like her babies, so no big visual differences there. She just decided her brood was closed and any newcomers were a threat. At day 7 my Honey wanted to try grafting two baby turkeys to her--that was NOT going to happen, she fluffed up and chased the poor little things around until they were frantic.

 

[Hholly]

You all have helped a lot. At least I'm prepared and will integrate the new ones carefully. Great information!