Bonding a Chick to a new Hen

[sophiesuds]

Hi! I don't often post here, and I'm still a little new to the forums. However, I searched for an answer to the situation I'm in with no luck in finding an answer.

I have a 4-week-old Lavender Orpington who, for about a week now, I've raised (in a sort of quarantine) with her "sister," a 2 month old New Jersey Giant. The 4 week chick has bonded to the 2 month chick and will (try) to snuggle, huddle underneath, and even jump onto the back of her very large friend.

While I was going to try to introduce them together to our current flock (four 2-month-old hens and two 7-year-old hens), one of our 7-year-old hens has become VERY broody once again and is even sitting on and cuddling our smallest 2-month-old hen.

My main question is if I were to introduce the 4-week-old chick to the broody hen at night, would the chick be able to bond with the hen even though she had previously bonded with another (much younger) chicken? I don't doubt that the hen would take her in (considering the other chicken she's "taken in" is much older, has more feathers, and is bigger than the chick in question).

 

[rosemarythyme]

The chick is far to old to accept a mommy at this point, even if the hen would accept. A 4 week old chick would be pretty close to the point of weaning anyhow.

 

[sophiesuds]

The chick is far to old to accept a mommy at this point, even if the hen would accept. A 4 week old chick would be pretty close to the point of weaning anyhow.

Hi! I'm so sorry for the late response! Thank you so much for your advice, which I ended up following. I introduced the New Jersey Giant and Lavender Orpington together to the flock about a month ago.

Interestingly, after being introduced together, the broody hen quickly adopted BOTH the giant 2+ month old New Jersey Giant and the small Lavender Orpington. The three of them go everywhere together, sleep together in a nest box (along with the other, still small, young hen), share food, etc... The New Jersey Giant is now 3 months old and still hangs out with her adoptive mother hen and baby sister!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Interesting... it's not the usual situation but I'm glad it worked out and made for an easier integration.