Sad day, but some hens keep them longer. Underneathe my nesting box in my coop is a nice area with wood shavings. Now, after hatching, there are very few instances when they will reject a chick, but it is rare. The Black Silkie hen paid no notice, if I gave her Blk and also White Silkie eggs to hatch. Sometimes there will be one chick they do not like, also rare.
MANY people buy day-old chicks of a totally different breed.
I know it is true. We've had a hen that has done the same thing, it's such a wonderful and heartwarming thing to see a hen raising her new babies. But they can also be so beautiful, friendly, responsive, with study and attention. And even more, they can bring a very satifying kind of activity, which reaches far beyond the feed store, the egg carton or frying pan. This is a private posting area.