Will my broody silkies with one lonely baby accept 6 new TSC chicks?

[TinyLittleFarm]

We have two broody silkies who have been sharing a nest. They had seven eggs. Only two of those hatched. I just found one of the babies dead.

There was no obvious trauma, so I am not sure what happened to her.

I have the silkies and their baby in a metal crate to protect them from the others while they all get used to each other.

I also have 6 TSC chicks that we got on Sunday--so they're maybe 5 days old or so. I really don't want that lone survivor chick to be all by himself. Both of the broody Silkies are first time moms. I'm thinking of moving the inside babies out under the broody mommas, but I'm worried about rejection. I do not have a separate coop for broodies so they would have to be in the coop with the big kids.

My other option is to bring both the broodies and their lone survivor and put them with the 6 TSC babies into our bigger inside brooder. It's maybe 3X6? I would imagine that would be big enough for all of them for a while. But them we'd have to reintroduce the whole lot of them to the larger flock.

I am truly befuddled.

 

[GotChicken?]

Wait until dark (make sure the room your broodies are in is dark, too), and place the tsc chicks under the moms. The hens and chicks spent all night communicating with each other, and chances are good the babies will be adopted.

I put hatchlings under my Silkie, who had been broody all of three days, and though she was a little confused at first (They hatched already!?), by morning she was cooing at them as if they were hers. Silkies love to be moms!

 

[lotzahenz]

I agree, I think silkies would mother kittens. I would put them under at night too. Then, the babies would quickly understand that to keep warm, go under mamma. I think you may have ONE problem. The babies may NOT listen to the silkie mamma since they are older. But, it is no problem if they are confined in a safe place. They will go to her for warmth and comfort, but may wander off, if out in the yard. I don't worry about this by keeping them in a brooder, just keeping the hen in there with them as extra heat. If they won't stay under her and cheep loudly, just add a heat lamp. Unless she is attacking them, never seen a silkie do this, I think it will work out just fine.

ETA: Re-introducing them won't be a real problem, do it at night as well, along with the chicks.

 

[TinyLittleFarm]

Should I let both of the broody silkies mother all seven chicks? Or will they fight over them?