Putting chicks together

[EliseD2012]

Hi,
I have a broody hen with 2 eggs due to hatch any day now and we are adopting 3 chicks from my daughter's school that hatched last week. My question is can I pop those three under my broody hen or will she likely reject them? If she will reject, should I take the two that hopefully hatch and put them in the brooder with the other three? They will be about 1.5 - 2 weeks different in age.

Thanks for the help!

 

[featheredplanets]

If you put the three chicks under the hen before the other two eggs hatch, it’s quite likely she’ll leave those eggs thinking they’ve hatched. I would just brood the three artificially. But I don’t see any reason why you’d need to take your hens’ chicks away? She’ll raise them fine.

 

[EliseD2012]

If you put the three chicks under the hen before the other two eggs hatch, it’s quite likely she’ll leave those eggs thinking they’ve hatched. I would just brood the three artificially. But I don’t see any reason why you’d need to take your hens’ chicks away? She’ll raise them fine.

Just thinking that it might be easier than introducing them later I guess?