Am I mama hen?

[Vickydolittle]

My chickens free range for part of the day. They are most active after/around 530pm when it cools down a little and there's more shade. However, if I'm outside just roaming around or standing around, they free range a lot more during the day (otherwise they will be under something in the yard). I feel like this may be a no brainer answer, but is this just because they want to hang out/feel safer with me around? I don't have a rooster and have been with these chicks since about day 3 of their lives (I also don't handle them often, but most of the time if I want to pick one up I can. I just try not to because they free range.) 19 weeks old.

 

[Shadrach]

My chickens free range for part of the day. They are most active after/around 530pm when it cools down a little and there's more shade. However, if I'm outside just roaming around or standing around, they free range a lot more during the day (otherwise they will be under something in the yard). I feel like this may be a no brainer answer, but is this just because they want to hang out/feel safer with me around? I don't have a rooster and have been with these chicks since about day 3 of their lives (I also don't handle them often, but most of the time if I want to pick one up I can. I just try not to because they free range.) 19 weeks old.

Given you don't have a rooster and you've had them from three days old it is likely they've imprinted you. Three days old is little late for a proper imprinting, but, yes, you're something, but perhaps not necessarily mother.

 

[Vickydolittle]

Given you don't have a rooster and you've had them from three days old it is likely they've imprinted you. Three days old is little late for a proper imprinting, but, yes, you're something, but perhaps not necessarily mother.

I know they know I'm not a chicken lol, but I ment it more as in like a protecter like a mother hen would or a rooster would. For example, they see me and now it's safe to come out because I will protect them?

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

You are the protective boss of the flock, like a rooster figure. Not a dam figure. Once chicks are six weeks old, they are completely independent from their dam. They want nothing to do with their dam and neither does their dam want anything to do with her chicks. Therefore having a "mother hen" to protect them is obsolete after six weeks. They need a rooster to protect them after that, so you are like the rooster to them.