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The Joy of Being Broody: Adopting Chicks with Your Hen

Do you have a broody hen sitting diligently in her nest box, dreaming of having her very own baby chicks? Adopting chicks with your hen is the way to go if you don’t have a rooster to fertilize eggs or don’t want to risk hatching roosters. This method offers a perfect solution!

The Joy of Being Broody Adopting Chicks with Your Hen

Raising chicks is such a joyful and rewarding experience. I mean really, is there anything sweeter than the sound of chirping baby chicks? I absolutely loved raising my baby chicks in a brooder inside my house and thought I would always do it that way. That was until my Buff Orpington, Batter, became determined to sit on eggs and hatch her own babies.

After seeing my hen raise her clutch of chicks, I hope to always raise future chicks this way. Watching them with their mom, learning about their world, and growing up with the flock has been so lovely to witness. I want that for you too!

In this post, I’ll go over everything I learned when giving my broody hen her very own chicks to raise, so that you too can have a successful chick adoption!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you purchase something through one of these Amazon links, I may receive a commission (and if so, thank you for the support!). The opinions expressed in this post are solely based on my personal experiences and observations as a small backyard chicken keeper. You can view my full private policy for more details.

Adopting Chicks With Your Hen

Having the right mixture of factors can set you and your future mother hen up for success. They include; having a broody hen, picking the best breeds for your flock, safe setup for the baby chicks and mama hen, what age of chick is best to give to a broody hen for the best success, how to go about giving baby chicks to a broody hen, and more! If you’re new to this, don’t worry! I’ll walk you through everything you need to know, sharing my own experiences and tips along the way.

There are several ways to let a broody hen raise her baby chicks. If you have a rooster, you can let her sit on eggs and hatch them herself. If you don’t have a rooster, you can purchase hatching eggs and put them under her. Another option is to buy baby chicks and place them under her as if she hatched them. Today, we’ll focus on giving your broody hen day-old (or 2-3 day-old) baby chicks and having your broody hen become a surrogate mother.

Can you give baby chicks to a broody hen

About Broody Hens – Baby Chicks on the Brain!

Have you ever gone to collect eggs, only to find your sweet hen has found the vocals of a tiny dinosaur? If your hen is spending way more time in the nest box, puffing up and squawking when you try to remove the eggs, then congratulations—you’ve got yourself a broody hen! Nature has kicked in, and she’s decided it’s time to up your chicken numbers by hatching her own clutch of babies.

A broody hen is essential for raising chicks. If your hen isn’t broody, she won’t be interested in raising chicks and might even harm them. Some breeds are more likely to go broody than others. For instance, my Buff Orpington hen, Batter, has tried many times, while her sister, Doughi, usually gives up after a few days.

This year, I wanted to add more chickens to my flock. Since Batter had always been a committed broody hen trying to hatch her own clutch, I decided to give her a chance. After she sat in the nest for more than three days, I knew it was time and excitedly ordered those baby chicks she (and I) had been dreaming about. I chose a delivery date two weeks out since that was when the breeds I wanted would be available. A hen will sit on a clutch of eggs for 21 days, so I hoped the timing would work out well. I also had a backup plan to raise the chicks myself in a brooder box if she didn’t accept them.

[ RELATED: How to Raise Baby Chicks ]

Picking the Best Breeds for Your Flock

When introducing new chickens into your flock, selecting breeds that are similar in temperament can go a long way in keeping the peace. While every chicken has their own unique personality, each breed has a general temperament that typically will shine through. For example, if you have a flock of calm and easygoing Orpington hens, you might not want to add breeds that are known to be more assertive and could constantly challenge the peaceful members of the flock.

[ RELATED: All About the Speckled Sussex Chicken Breed ]

Can I move a broody hen and her chicks

Do You Have Enough Space in Your Coop

Before bringing home baby chicks, make sure you have enough room in your coop and run. This means looking at your roosting bar space, the chicken run, and coop itself. Ensuring you have enough space for your new additions as they grow into big adult chickens, so you avoid stressing your flock by overcrowding. If you have a Homeowners Association (HOA), don’t forget to check that you are within your legal limits for the number of chickens allowed.

[ RELATED: How Many Chickens Should I Start With? ]

Raising Friendly Babies with a Broody Hen

Have you have ever heard that baby chicks raised by a broody hen turn out a bit more wild and not as friendly as if you had raised them yourself in a brooder? I’m here to tell you that doesn’t have to be the case! The babies my broody hen has raised have been by far the friendliest chicks I’ve had.

Carefully selecting your broody chickens can help with raising super sweet babies. My Buff Orpington is a super sweet lap chicken. She loves being held, picked up, and will run to me when she sees me. I knew that by letting her raise these babies, she would trust me enough to handle them too. And I’m happy to say, she did!

I spent time in the coop with them every day, and she showed them that I was friendly, to be trusted, and that lap sits are the best. Choosing a broody hen that is a good mother, gentle, and used to your presence can make handling and interacting with the chicks easier as they grow.

[ RELATED: Tips for Raising Friendly Chickens ]

Where to Get Your Baby Chicks

When giving a broody hen chicks, you won’t be practicing a standard 30-day quarantine before introducing new chickens to your flock. Since you’ll be giving her the chicks on the day you receive them, it’s crucial to ensure the source of your chicks is reliable. I recommend ordering from hatcheries that are NPIP certified. This certification means they test their flocks for top chicken diseases, ensuring you receive healthy chicks. Although I never have, some hatcheries also offer vaccinations against various diseases.

When giving your broody hen chicks you ideally want to give her 1-3 day-old chicks. As young as possible is best so that they imprint on their mom and listen to her. When shipping chicks you will generally receive them within 1-3 days, or 72 hours, however every time I have ordered chicks I have received them within 48 hours.

How do you know if a broody hen has accepted chicks

Setting Up a Safe Space for Your Broody Hen and Chicks

Before giving your broody hen those sweet baby chicks, it’s important to assess your space in order to create a comfortable and safe environment. This reduces stress for both your hen and her chicks. Here are a few housing options to consider based on your current chicken setup.

Housing Options for Broody Hen and Chicks

There are so many ways you can go about setting up a cozy nest for your mama hen and her babies. From using an existing nest box, sectioning off a nestbox/area within your coop, to giving them their own coop.

I house my chickens in a converted horse stall that has alot of room to section off areas but If I were looking for a coop that was easy to clean to house a broody and baby chicks, I’d look into getting an Omlet Coop with the attached run. The ones at ground level are great because it’s an easy in and out for your broody hen and babies. Just make sure that the ‘run’ around this or any other coop is secure from predators.

1. Keeping Her in the Nest Box
  • Simplicity: This is the simplest choice, especially if space is limited.
  • Low Nest Boxes: Ensure nest boxes are close to the floor to allow easy access for the chicks.
  • Egg Marking: If hatching eggs, mark them with a pencil to prevent mix-ups, avoiding sharpies as the ink can bleed into the egg.
  • Risk of Broken Eggs: Other chickens accessing the nest box can lead to broken eggs.
  • Risk of Broody Being Kicked Out of Nest Boxes: You can run the risk of your broody being kicked out of her nest box enough that she ‘breaks’ from being broody.

Nest Box Height and Space Considerations

  • Proper Height: Ensure nest boxes are at an appropriate height so chicks can get in and out safely.
  • Separate Space: Consider whether the chicks will have their own space or if the flock will access them. A good broody hen will protect her chicks, but leaving them with the flock can be risky.
  • Food and Water: When you first bring your chicks to your broody you will want them to have easy access to food and water next to their nest. If allowing other chickens to access this food and water, you run the risk or the babies being chased off or hurt by the other big chickens.
2. Moving Her to a Quieter Area (Visible to Other Chickens)
  • Reduced Stress: Moving your broody hen to a quieter area where she can see other chickens can reduce stress.
  • Enclosed Area: Set up a small, enclosed area with its own food and water supply. Ensure the space is safe from predators and other chickens, provide soft bedding, and keep it clean and dry.
  • Enclose a Nest Box: If your coop allows, you can setup a broody pen area within your coop. Using a nest box you can section off an area so that only broody and babies can access the coop water and food.
3. Moving Her to a Quieter Space (Not Visible to Other Chickens)
  • Privacy and Reduced Competition: Moving your broody hen to a quieter area where she cannot see the rest of the flock gives her privacy and reduces competition for food and water. It also prevents other hens from interfering with her care of the chicks.
  • Downsides: Because they won’t see the other chickens, integration may be harder on your broody and chicks. Allowing them to see the chicks but not access them will allow for an easier transition.

What Worked for Me

In my case, keeping my broody hen in the nest box worked well. Despite her occasional nest box hopping, she managed to always get back in after going for food and water. When my chicks came I did close off my coop completely so that mama hen and her chicks could safely move about and get food and water without the threat of the other big chickens going after the chicks or crowding them from the resources.

I setup other nest boxes in another area of my chicken run while the babies and mama hen were shut in the coop.

Every flock and situation is different, so adjust your approach as needed to ensure the safety and well-being of both the broody hen and her chicks.

Ensuring Safe Introductions

Keeping a hen and chicks in a space where they can see but not be accessed by other chickens helps when it comes time for the mother hen to introduce her chicks. This way, the chicks grow up alongside the adult flock, observing them and their mother without being harmed. This gradual exposure eases the introduction process and promotes better integration of the chicks into the flock dynamics. I let my mother hen decide when she was ready to take them out to meet the flock for the first time. I would leave the coop door open in the evenings to see if she was ready and close it if she decided she needed to hide the chicks. One night when the babies were two weeks old she decided it was time.

Mother Hen with Her Baby Chicks

Feeding and Watering Tips for Broody Hen and Chicks

1. All-Day Access to Food

Ensure food is available all day for both the chicks and the hen so they can eat whenever they are hungry. With your chicks being so small, I’d suggest using a chick waterer and chick sized feeder designed for baby chicks. Your mother hen will eat and drink out of these as well.

2. Fresh Water Daily

Provide fresh water every day and change it immediately if it gets soiled (and soiled it will get!). Clean water is essential for the health of your chicks and hen.

3. Introducing Grit

My chicks started eating bugs that wandered into the coop, so I provided a dish of baby chick grit to help them digest their finds.

4. Feeding a Mixed-Age Flock

When feeding a mixed-age flock, always feed to the youngest. Switch everyone to a good chick starter mix, such as Manna Pro chick starter. Once your chicks reach 16 weeks, you can transition the entire flock back to a layer feed.

5. Calcium Supplement

Don’t forget to provide a calcium supplement, like oyster shell, if you don’t already for the laying hens when you switch to chick starter feed. Offering free-choice calcium supplements at all times is a good practice, as hens will consume only what they need.

How long will a hen stay broody?

When the Baby Chicks Arrive

Your broody hen has been sitting, patiently waiting for her eggs (dummy eggs, unfertilized eggs, whatever you have under her) to hatch and your baby chicks have just arrived, now how do you give your broody hen the chicks? Broody hens can reject chicks or if they are a first time mom, they might be confused to what these little balls of fluff are doing under her.

A convenient method to introduce your new baby chicks to your broody hen is during nighttime. This way, she’ll wake up thinking her chicks have hatched while she was asleep.

As you’ll learn further below, I actually gave my baby chicks to my broody hen right after picking them up from the post office. She accepted them all without hesitation. Ultimately, it depends on your judgment—consider how you think your broody hen will respond and how long she’s been on the nest.

Giving Your Broody Hen Chicks at Night

If you plan to give your broody hen her baby chicks at night, follow these steps to ensure a smooth transition:

  1. Prepare the Chicks: Bring your chicks to your broody hen in the box they came in or any container with a non-slippery floor.
  2. Remove Any Eggs: Take out any eggs from under your broody hen (I used fake eggs).
  3. Place the Chicks: Carefully place each chick under your broody hen in the dark.

For this method to work effectively, get up very early in the morning—before the sun rises—to check on your broody hen. This way, you can ensure she is accepting her new chicks and everything is going smoothly.

Keep an eye on the babies to ensure your broody hen is accepting them. She should keep them under her and seem at peace with her new babies. If she drives off a chick, aggressively pecks anyone, or shows other concerning behavior, you may need to intervene. This is another reason for having a backup brooder ready to go.

What to Watch Out For
Eating and Drinking

Make sure everyone is eating and drinking. Your mother hen should show her chicks where to find food and water, but keep an eye out to ensure everyone gets the hang of it.

Pasty Butt

Pasty butt is more common in shipped chicks. Check their rears for stuck poop, which can cause serious issues. If you notice any, gently use a warm towel to dab it off until it’s clean. Be very careful! Little chicks are so tiny that if you dab too hard it can rip skin. I really like to check them the first couple days after arrival to make sure everyone is good.

A Bit About My Chick Story

Originally, I planned to give my broody hen her chicks at night, so she’d wake up thinking, “Oh, my babies have hatched!” I set up a temporary brooder inside with food, water, and a heat plate to ensure all chicks were eating, drinking, and didn’t have pasty butt upon arrival before giving them to her. Then on their first night with me, I would slip them under her.

Unfortunately, when I opened the chick box from the post office, I found that three of the four chicks had passed away. It was heartbreaking to hear only one chick chirping. I know these things can happen, but it was still devastating. Those little babies mattered, and I wish they had made it safely.

I share this not to scare you, but to highlight that things don’t always go as planned. This was from a hatchery I hadn’t used before. It could have been bad weather or mishandling during transit. I’ve ordered from other hatcheries in the past without any losses.

With only one chick, I changed my plans and took her straight to my broody hen. I wasn’t sure if Batter, being a first-time mom, would accept just one chick, but she immediately settled in and began warming her new baby. I quickly ordered four more chicks from a trusted hatchery I’ve used before with success. They arrived within two days, and I followed the same process, giving the babies to Batter. Despite my concerns about giving her babies days apart, she accepted them all without hesitation, becoming a happy mama with a full clutch of chicks.

If hatching naturally, the eggs may hatch within days of each other, so giving her chicks days apart worked well. When all the chicks were under her, she gave them a look that seemed to say, “I’ve been waiting for you all!”. She then proceeded to fall asleep with her babies warming underneath.

Should I separate hens and chicks from a flock?

Making Introductions to the Flock

Another great bonus of having a broody hen raise chicks is that mother hen will handle introducing her young chicks to the flock for you! Now there are still a few things to look for when she does decide it’s time for introductions and there are some things you can do to help her.

When the time comes to introduce the chicks to the flock, it’s important to keep the following in mind.

  • If space allows, start by allowing them to see each other through a fence or barrier if they have not already had a clear line of sight with the flock
  • When she does decide to take them into the flock, supervise their interactions
  • Watch for any signs of aggression and be ready to step in if necessary

Every flock is different, so knowing your chickens’ personalities can help you anticipate and manage any issues. My broody hen is at the bottom of the pecking order so I really worried about this stage.

Would she defend her chicks or flee, leaving them vulnerable? To my relief, she turned out to be an fierce mama, exhibiting behaviors I’d never seen from her. While everyone else mostly ignored the new arrivals, Batter, my broody hen, strutted around proudly, puffing up and clucking assertively whenever another chicken approached.

However, my three Australorp hens decided to test her. Batter surprised us all by leaping into the air and executing what can only be described as a chicken karate kick, sending them away. Despite her low pecking order status and being a first-time mom, her protective instincts kicked in full force. No one, not even the barn cats, dared to glance in her chicks’ direction without facing her wrath.

How to help a broody hen adopt chicks?

Trusting Your Broody Hen’s Instincts

Your mother hen instinctively knows how to care for her chicks. While it’s essential to trust her natural abilities, it’s equally important to keep a watchful eye to ensure everything goes smoothly.

First, make sure the chicks can access all the areas their mother goes to, especially for warmth. Chicks need to cuddle up under their mom to stay warm, so it’s crucial they can easily reach her at all times.

Next, ensure that everyone has access to food and fresh water. Monitor mealtime to make sure no one is being bullied away from these essentials. A good setup will allow all chicks and the hen to eat and drink without competition or stress. Once your broody hen brings her chicks into the main chicken run, make sure you have plenty of food and water stations!

By balancing trust in your broody hen’s instincts with attentive care, you can help ensure a healthy and happy environment for both the hen and her chicks.

If Things Don’t Go to Plan

Unfortunately, not every chick will survive despite our best efforts. My first chick loss happened when I opened the box of mail order chicks and saw that only one had survived. The next loss occurred about two weeks after my broody hen had her chicks. It was the first day that mama hen decided it was time to bring her chicks out of the coop and ventured into the chicken run. Everything seemed great that day, however that night I noticed one of the chicks seemed a little off. I figured she was ready for bed as it was at the time the chicks were to go to bed for the night. Sadly, she passed away the next morning.

It’s unclear what caused it, as all my other chicks and chickens were healthy without any issues. There was light rain the day she first took her chicks out, so it’s possible she didn’t shelter them quickly enough. The exact cause may never be known. I gave her a burial and hugged all my chickens extra that day. I kept a vigilant watch on everyone afterward, ready to act if anyone showed signs of illness. Fortunately, everyone else has stayed healthy since then.

Take Care of Yourself. Losing chicks is heartbreaking. It’s okay to feel sad and reach out for support from fellow chicken friends.

Remember, despite your best efforts, some things are out of your control. Stay prepared, act quickly, and don’t hesitate to seek support when needed.

Broody hen signs

Takeaways After Raising Chicks with a Broody Hen

Raising chicks with a broody hen has been one of the most rewarding parts of my chicken-keeping journey. There have been challenges and heartaches along the way, but seeing my sweet mother hen beaming with joy with her little baby chicks makes it all worth it. By sharing my experiences, I hope to help encourage others and avoid some of the pitfalls I encountered and enjoy the joys of raising baby chicks with a broody hen.

This post was all about raising baby chicks with a broody hen. Once you have everything set up, you will be ready to let your broody hen raise your new sweet baby chicks! Feel free to share your own experiences or ask any questions in the comments below!

Happy chick raising!

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