Will hens that are NOT broody adopt new chicks?

[J-birdy]

Okay, I did a net search, and even the suggested threads here, but there isn't a situation quite like mine.

Back in the 90's we hatched over 20 chicks in an incubator, and all was well. However, it was the summer, and warm enough to leave the chicks in the garage until they were a few weeks old, then out into the flock they went without issues.

Now we're trying it again. However, its getting cold weather, and non of our hens [the few broody breeds we have which total 5 hens] are not broody.

We do have a small black Cochin hen that is very friendly for which I've read make great mothers, and are good with adopted chicks.

I was thinking when the chicks hatch, to bring the Cochin inside, and leave them in the brooder with the chicks, and see what will happen. If she accepts them, this would make like much easier.


Thoughts?

 

[sourland]

There's an outside chance it might work, but have a 'Plan B' in mind as it is unlikely.

 

[FrostRanger]

It's far more likely the hens will just kill the chicks than adopt them, I wouldn't attempt it. If you want the hens to raise chicks you'll have to wait for someone to go broody

 

[Nicks_Chicks]

Okay, I did a net search, and even the suggested threads here, but there isn't a situation quite like mine.

Back in the 90's we hatched over 20 chicks in an incubator, and all was well. However, it was the summer, and warm enough to leave the chicks in the garage until they were a few weeks old, then out into the flock they went without issues.

Now we're trying it again. However, its getting cold weather, and non of our hens [the few broody breeds we have which total 5 hens] are not broody.

We do have a small black Cochin hen that is very friendly for which I've read make great mothers, and are good with adopted chicks.

I was thinking when the chicks hatch, to bring the Cochin inside, and leave them in the brooder with the chicks, and see what will happen. If she accepts them, this would make like much easier.


Thoughts?

I couldn't stop my Cochin from being broody lol

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Has this Cochin ever been around chicks before or raised them before? I had a Buff Orpington/Brahma hen who would adopt motherless chicks without ever going broody a day in her life, but that was a rare thing to have. Most hens will either attack or run from unknown chicks. Keeping them in a brooder would probably be the safest thing and then introducing them to the flock when they're much older.

 

[flowers 23]

Okay, I did a net search, and even the suggested threads here, but there isn't a situation quite like mine.

Back in the 90's we hatched over 20 chicks in an incubator, and all was well. However, it was the summer, and warm enough to leave the chicks in the garage until they were a few weeks old, then out into the flock they went without issues.

Now we're trying it again. However, its getting cold weather, and non of our hens [the few broody breeds we have which total 5 hens] are not broody.

We do have a small black Cochin hen that is very friendly for which I've read make great mothers, and are good with adopted chicks.

I was thinking when the chicks hatch, to bring the Cochin inside, and leave them in the brooder with the chicks, and see what will happen. If she accepts them, this would make like much easier.


Thoughts?

So, many years ago, I bought day old chicks, and put them under a bantam

Okay, I did a net search, and even the suggested threads here, but there isn't a situation quite like mine.

Back in the 90's we hatched over 20 chicks in an incubator, and all was well. However, it was the summer, and warm enough to leave the chicks in the garage until they were a few weeks old, then out into the flock they went without issues.

Now we're trying it again. However, its getting cold weather, and non of our hens [the few broody breeds we have which total 5 hens] are not broody.

We do have a small black Cochin hen that is very friendly for which I've read make great mothers, and are good with adopted chicks.

I was thinking when the chicks hatch, to bring the Cochin inside, and leave them in the brooder with the chicks, and see what will happen. If she accepts them, this would make like much easier.


Thoughts?

Many years ago I had a bantam hen, who was not broody, and I took her in a cat carrier when I went to get some day old chicks. Bantam had travelled 3 hours in car, I got day old chicks and put straight under her, hen still in cat carrier, covered carrier, put near me in car (I wasn't driving), so I could have intervened if any trouble, went about 20 minutes (where we had lunch), and gave food and water, while still in carrier. She had accepted chicks by then, and then had 3 hour trip back home. By the time we got home she was completely devoted to the chicks, very protective etc and mothered them to adulthood extremely well. She had not had chicks before, and accepted these without any fuss or hesitation. I realise now that I was extremely fortunate that she accepted so easily. I don't know if the confinement helped her to accept or not, and it was a necessity, not something we did to help her accept them, but it was effective. She may have accepted anyway, I done know, but perhaps confinement helped, and cloth over cat carrier to keep her calm, slept with babies under her, woke up and they were hers. I will add, we got some more day old chicks a few weeks later, and she absolutely did not accept these, even when I put under her at night time - she defended her original chicks and did not accept the newcomers - tried to attack them to defend her chicks. The second lot of chicks we raised inside under a lamp and slowly introduced to flock when older, they did become a cohesive flock as adults. I hope you have success.

 

[J-birdy]

Has this Cochin ever been around chicks before or raised them before? I had a Buff Orpington/Brahma hen who would adopt motherless chicks without ever going broody a day in her life, but that was a rare thing to have. Most hens will either attack or run from unknown chicks. Keeping them in a brooder would probably be the safest thing and then introducing them to the flock when they're much older.

Yes. She has been around two groups of chicks. When she was around 5 months old we bought some Jersey Giant chicks, and kept them in a small pen. At around two weeks we brought them into the main flock, and the Cochin took right too them. However since it was summer we just put the chicks in the main pen in a part of the pen that was sectioned off, and fed them chick feed. The JG's stayed in the sectioned off part of the pen until they were able to free roam with the older birds.

Thanks for all of the replies. After the chicks hatch, I'll try putting them with the Cochin [under my supervision]. Then see how it goes, and report back.

 

[ChickyWhicky]

I have tried this twice with my ole reliable brooder hen who is broody 3/4 of every year. She is an A+ mama, has a ton of hatches under her belt. Tried to get her to adopt babies when she wasnt broody, not happening! Interested to see if your cochin will accept babies!

 

[Slothinc]

One other thought, is that you could put some fake eggs (or even put some real eggs if they aren’t fertile) into one nest box to try and encourage one of your hens to become broody before the chicks hatch. If they take to the fake nest, then just pop the day old chicks under the hen and pull out the dummy eggs.