Did my hen accept chicks?

[greylee]

I got 3 two day old chicks that I put under my broody hen. I showed one to her at first and she pecked it, which worried me. Then I took the three chicks and put them under her and they are all sleeping. I can see their little heads peeking out from under my hen.

I read that she should be making clicking noises to show that she's accepted them but it seems more like she's ignoring that they are there.

I've been sitting near her for about 20 minutes now just terrified that when the chicks wake up and start moving more, she might peck them.

EDIT: The chicks started to stir and one of them peeked her head out from the hen's wing. My hen pecked her on the head. The chicks didn't seem to mind it too much and didn't move. The hen stares at the chick for awhile and then pecked her again and it sounded hard this time. I freaked out but the chick went back under my hen and they seem settled again.

 

[sourland]

It sounds as if everything is going okay, but it is generally best to introduce them at night so that she can bond/imprint on them overnight. Has she raised chicks before, or is she a first time mother?

 

[greylee]

It sounds as if everything is going okay, but it is generally best to introduce them at night so that she can bond/imprint on them overnight. Has she raised chicks before, or is she a first time mother?

She's a first time mother and this is my first time doing things this way as well. I have a brooder set up incase I need to take them away.

 

[thistlewick]

Yeah I made the mistake of giving day old chicks during the day to my broody.

She did NOT like them and tried to throw them out of the nest.

I didn't really have a place inside the house to put them until nighttime though, so next time if I ever try this I will be more prepared. If she ever goes broody again, I'm just gonna let her sit some eggs. Too much of a headache.

 

[greylee]

They've been like this for almost 30 minutes now. She hasn't moved and the chicks have just been sleeping.

 

[greylee]

It sounds as if everything is going okay, but it is generally best to introduce them at night so that she can bond/imprint on them overnight. Has she raised chicks before, or is she a first time mother?

Should I be taking them away and trying again at night? Everyone seems content right now but it does seem like my hen just doesn't realize that they are there.

 

[greylee]

Yeah I made the mistake of giving day old chicks during the day to my broody.

She did NOT like them and tried to throw them out of the nest.

I didn't really have a place inside the house to put them until nighttime though, so next time if I ever try this I will be more prepared. If she ever goes broody again, I'm just gonna let her sit some eggs. Too much of a headache.

Eggs would have been my preferred method too, but I wanted vaccinated chicks. I've also heard that hens can reject chicks from eggs they lay on so I at least wanted to be able to be present to observe. With eggs, you don't know when they'll hatch.

 

[sourland]

Should I be taking them away and trying again at night? Everyone seems content right now but it does seem like my hen just doesn't realize that they are there.

At this point unless problems arise, I would not intervene.

 

[greylee]

At this point unless problems arise, I would not intervene.

Thank you so much. At this point do you think it would be ok for me to walk away and just check on them every 15 minutes or so? I thought I did enough research on this but now I'm just getting stressed out.

 

[greylee]

The chicks started to stir and one of them peeked her head out from the hen's wing. My hen pecked her on the head. The chicks didn't seem to mind it too much and didn't move. The hen stared at the chick for awhile and then pecked her again and it sounded hard this time. I freaked out but the chick went back under my hen and they seem settled again.