Hi All!
We got lucky this spring and had 2 hens go broody. I tried to set them up in a little coop with 2 separate nesting boxes, but 1 hen wouldn't have it. So she ended up in a separate broody area in the main coop. Now they've both hatched out their eggs about a week apart - 1 with 5 chicks, the other with 7 chicks. But when I put them together in a run area where I was hoping to let them all grow a bit before putting them in with the flock, the 2 mama hens go crazy and fight like roosters!
So we've built another little coop and will divide the run, but for how long???
We got a broody last year and she came with a chick. I put them in with the flock right away, and she set the boundaries with the other chickens, keeping the chick safe and she and the chick fit right into the flock. So I was just assuming that these hens would do the same with their chicks. But now seeing them fight each other, I don't know how to proceed. I was thinking that in 3 weeks or so I put them all in together and let the mamas fend for the chicks.
My thinking is that the benefit of having mamas raise the chicks is both that they're out of the house doing their own thing without my help and also that they can deal with the integration with the flock. Now I'm wondering if they will be able to do that. They can't even live with each other let alone the rest of the flock.
Please share your experience and advice with me.
Thanks!
Theresa
We got lucky this spring and had 2 hens go broody. I tried to set them up in a little coop with 2 separate nesting boxes, but 1 hen wouldn't have it. So she ended up in a separate broody area in the main coop. Now they've both hatched out their eggs about a week apart - 1 with 5 chicks, the other with 7 chicks. But when I put them together in a run area where I was hoping to let them all grow a bit before putting them in with the flock, the 2 mama hens go crazy and fight like roosters!
So we've built another little coop and will divide the run, but for how long???
We got a broody last year and she came with a chick. I put them in with the flock right away, and she set the boundaries with the other chickens, keeping the chick safe and she and the chick fit right into the flock. So I was just assuming that these hens would do the same with their chicks. But now seeing them fight each other, I don't know how to proceed. I was thinking that in 3 weeks or so I put them all in together and let the mamas fend for the chicks.
My thinking is that the benefit of having mamas raise the chicks is both that they're out of the house doing their own thing without my help and also that they can deal with the integration with the flock. Now I'm wondering if they will be able to do that. They can't even live with each other let alone the rest of the flock.
Please share your experience and advice with me.
Thanks!
Theresa