Unless a hen is broody, she will almost certainly not accept a chick and may kill it. Also, if the chick has been reared in a brooder with a heat lamp, even for just a few days, it may not accept a broody hen as they don't understand that dark undercarriage is warm and safe, instead of light. Even giving a chick to a hen that is broody can be risky and it's usually better to swap her eggs for a chick after she has been sitting tight for a couple of weeks and to do it at night so they have all night to bond before there is a chance of the hen getting off the nest.
Most hens never go broody in their whole lifetime. Some hens go broody multiple times a year. As previously stated, they do not need a cockerel to go broody.
How many hens do you have? If you only have one hen, then getting another hen of a similar age would probably be better for her than a chick and even then introductions need to be done carefully through a cage for a week. If you particularly wanted to raise chicks via a broody hen, then buying a breed that is known for being broody would be a better bet.ie a silkie or bantam cochin or perhaps a buff orp etc. but there is still no guarantee that they will go broody and rear chicks....it's just reasonably likely Unfortunately, production reds are bred for maximum production of eggs and hence broodiness has been selectively bred out of them, making it extremely unlikely(although not totally impossible) that your hen will go broody. She is probably destined to be more of a worker than a mother..
