# How many chicks can one hen handle?



## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

I recently lost my last rooster (he was my favorite, too...), and only have hens left, so I decided to get another batch of chicks in the hopes there will be a little roo or four in the batch. I had 3 broody hens, but two of them have gotten off the nest now, and there's only one left. The two that un-brooded are still in the "nursery pen" area of the coop. (The eggs they've been sitting on are obviously infertile.)

This morning the chicks arrived and I have 24 that lived and are doing great (they're in a big box in the kitchen eating and drinking). I was going to take them out tonight and put some of them under each of those three hens, but if the two that aren't broody anymore won't take care of them, can the one remaining broody take care of that many chicks? I can't see how she could fit them all under her, but I could leave her and the babies in the nursery for a couple weeks or so with a heat lamp on at night if need be.

Any advice on how I might handle this? I'd really like the hens to raise the chicks if possible, rather than having to brood them separately for 6 weeks.

Thanks for any ideas you might have!

~Lannie


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## menollyrj (Mar 15, 2006)

If the weather is warmish & she has an area protected from the weather, she should be able to handle that many, assuming she is a full-sized hen. We have Buff Orpingtons & I had one take care of 26 this spring. They all got under her wings, and as they got older, they just laid around next to her if they couldn't fit in. You'll want to check them for a couple of nights to make sure the babies know that the hen is their new momma. Sometimes our incubator babies don't figure it out right away.

Good luck!

-Joy


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## Cheri in NY (May 10, 2002)

Whether the hen is a full size one or a Bantam makes a big difference, too. Last fall, I had a Bantam hatch out and take care of 22 chicks, all Bantams. If your hen is full size, then yes, she is capable of taking care of 24 chicks. I have found that multiple hens will fight at my house, but others may have had good luck. Definately keep her separate from other hens for a while, though,:happy: with the babies. Only you can decide how many hens you want to use.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Oh, thanks for getting right back to me! LOL! (I worry so over my fur- and feather-babies!)

Yes, it's a Light Brahma hen, extra large size. The nursery area is separated from the main part of the coop with a chicken wire divider, with a foot or so of cardboard all along the base (dey widdle heads can't go through that  ) and it's big enough I could leave them in there for a couple of weeks at least. With the heat lamp on at night, in case they won't all fit under her, there will still be a warm place they can sleep.

Last year, a fox got one of my mama hens and I had 8 babies with no one to take care of them, so I put them in that nursery section, and that's when I noticed the rooster spending a LOT of time sitting next to that divider, watching them. One day, on a lark, I let him in there, and he immediately took over mothering duties. He didn't know how to get them under him, but he had them all surrounding him every night for warmth, and he took them out during the day and found food for them and even fed them a few times. Once he jumped up and chested a hawk that was swooping down for one of HIS babies. The hawk took off, and the rooster hustled all the babies inside to safety. THAT was the rooster I just lost. I'm totally heartbroken. He raised all 8 of those babies to adulthood, bless his heart. I sure wish I would have kept one of his sons.

Anyway, I ramble... So I'll kick those unbroody hens out then, and let the one remaining broody take all the babies.

Thanks a bunch!

~Lannie :rock:


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Oh, I almost forgot. I'm supposed to wait until after dark to switch the babies for the eggs, right? Or can I do it right now? The hen is VERY broody and hasn't even moved off her eggs for a day or two (well, maybe she did and I missed it).

~Lannie


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Well, THAT didn't work. 

I waited until dark last night and took the babies out to the broody hen. My husband was helping me, and brought a flashlight so I could see what I was doing. He didn't shine it right in on the hen, just down on the floor so I had a bit of ambient light. But the chicks were making so much noise, they had the whole coop in an uproar. I got the infertile eggs out from under the broody and started putting babies under her, but she wouldn't get up at all - she was pressing herself down and I could only put a few babies around the edges of her. Then she started pecking them, HARD. I put a few more in there with her, and she kept pecking them, which made me worry that she might kill them overnight, so we booted her out and just left the chicks in there under the heat lamp. They were fine last night.

This morning, Ms. Broody was stalking in and out of the coop, all fluffed up and muttering curses, obviously wanting back in to her nest. I opened the door into the nursery and she went right in and sat on her now empty nest. She's tolerating the chicks being in there, unless one gets too close to her, then she pecks it and it runs off. I was kind of hoping the peeping and silly chick behavior would click with her and she'd take an interest in them. Is that a foolish expectation at this point?

We have to be gone all day tomorrow, so if she doesn't start acting nice to the babies today, I'll have to toss her out again. I REALLY wanted a hen to raise these babies, and I don't know if I did something wrong or not. Maybe she's just not a "nice" hen?

Any advice for making this work? Maybe?

~Lannie


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

It is not whether she is a nice hen or a mean hen. She is just doing her job.
Her goal is to set forth HER genes and not the genes from those little interlopers you put in with her.
Some hens will take other chicks, but that is a rare and wonderful treat. I mean, really rare.
It is her job to kill and/or chase off any chicks that are not hers.
I am sorry that it didn't work.
I have had it happen once or twice, but more than not they attack the chicks.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

A lot of people have told me that they put chicks under a hen that's sitting on infertile eggs, and she thinks they're hers and takes them. But not THIS one! LOL!

I went to check on them a little bit ago, and the hen was sitting out in the middle of the floor and all the babies were in a tight huddle in the far corner, not making a sound, so I decided it wasn't going to work. I kicked the hen out, removed her box and put it over in the other side of the coop, and the chicks now have the nursery to themselves. I was hoping to not have to do this myself, but what the heck... At least this way I don't have to worry about her hurting them when I'm not looking. And she hadn't hurt them (yet), but she definitely didn't want them anywhere near her, so I guess this is the best way.

Hopefully one of these babies, or several, will be roosters, and I can go back to letting the hens sit on fertile eggs and hatching their own chicks. I like it so much better that way.

~Lannie


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