Will my old hen (now alone) foster new baby chicks?

[Miss Josephine]

I have an old sweet hen who lost her last coop mate and is stressed. I have nine new chicks coming in a few days and had planned to raise them indoors and introduce them later. I feel that my old hen would benefit from raising them. It is August in Mew Mexico and plenty warm in the coop although the chicken yard is shaded. Can I make this happen and what would I need to do to support this being successful?

 

[sourland]

You can try raising them close to her but separated by a wire barrier. Assess and monitor her behavior. It's most likely that she will initially be aggressive towards them.

 

[GodLovesU]

 

[muddy75]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[FrostRanger]

Welcome!

It's rare for a hen that isn't broody to adopt chicks, most of the time they will be ignored at best or killed at worst. Brooding them where she can see them would be a good idea though as it will make integration easier

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

You can raise them in the coop with her using a fenced off area with chicken wire or hardware cloth and a brooder plate for warmth. She will not mother them. Even if she was already very broody there are no guarantees that she would adopt chicks. But raising them within sight of each other will speed up integration.

 

[C Siena]

Greetings & Salutations. Welcome Miss Josephine.

Good Advice from the others. Brood close by, See no Touch.

This is a wonderful site on which to Learn and enjoy. We are pleased to have you in the community.

 

[N F C]

Hi, good advice about starting them off close but out of reach of your hen.

Thanks for joining!

 

[Jenbirdee]

 

[007Sean]

Howdy, and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!