[Sluggs]

Hi,

I ve hatched three chicks in an incubator, which now are three weeks old, is it possible to introduce them to our hen to look after, or is best to leave them seperate till an older age before introduction.
Any comments or experiance would be great. The hen and chicks are not related, if that makes a difference.

[bantam novice]

Hello there, I am not that experienced and I'm sure someone more experienced will be along to advise you.  My feeling is that you will need to raise the chicks until they are old enough to look after themselves before introducing them to older hens as the older hens will go for the chicks.   

[Helenaj]

I would advise against it as unless she is in "chick mode" i.e. has chicks of her own of a similar age, she will kill them. Also, you cannot put chicks with a hen that is sitting on eggs either as it may switch off the broody mode and she may abandon the eggs in favour of the chicks.
If she does already have chicks of a similar age, it is possible to foster them with her, but it is risky and involves putting them under her wings at night (hidden by your hand so she can't see them) and then constant vigilance the following day as soon as she is up to make sure she does not harm them. If she doesn't take to them immediately, remove the chicks and do the same the following night to see if it will work. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
If she doesn't have chicks, keep them well apart until the chicks are off the heat and then put them where they can see each other but have no contact. Keep them like this until at least 14 - 16 weeks old when they would be big enough (and quick enough) to survive the pecking order squabbles. Always supervise first introductions with young birds as nasty wounds can happen to younger birds very quickly.

[Casey76]

To get a hen to foster chicks, she has to be broody, and the chicks must be as young as possible (day old is best).  At three weeks old, you will have to artificially rear them in a brooder, I'm afraid.