Are brood moms always protective against humans?

[Kimi BK]

We are new to breeding. We had a broody Australorp and let her raise some day old chicks last year.

Then this year we had a couple roosters in with 20 hens, and 2 Australorps went broody and raised 3 batches of chicks.

Each time, the moms seemed to teach the chicks that we are Big Bad Monsters -- the chicks freak out and run away whenever we are near.

We made friends with last year's pullets... We made a new production coop and moved them in there, and did a lot of PR, holding them and giving them treats, and they pretty much came around. 3 of the 10 are very friendly and come right up around us, practically jump into our arms, etc. The other 7 aren't quite as tame but at least they don't seem afraid of us any more.

We gave away some of this year's chicks, and will move the remaining pullets into the production coop with last year's girls. (And we will eat 3 roos.)

Anyway, my question is, is it normal for broody hens to act like that, training the chicks to be wary of everyone else but her? (The mom of this year's little chicks even made them terrified of the slightly bigger chicks that hatched in the same brood coop.)

Or should we try breeding our friendliest & tamest hens next year?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

 

[WIchickMama]

I truly think you won't know until a hen goes broody and hatches chicks. I think that it could go either way, I mean one of her duties is to train them to listen to her for many things-food, danger, sleep, etc so she will do all those things and that could include teaching them humans could be a threat.

We had a hen hatch babies almost 5 weeks ago, she did not teach them that we were "scary" chicks come up with the rest of the flock when we go out to the coop/run. They do run when we walk through and if we come down over top of them to grab them but that I think is normal.

Again all in the hen and her mama hormones, maybe?

 

[The Ranch Girl]

We are new to breeding. We had a broody Australorp and let her raise some day old chicks last year.

Then this year we had a couple roosters in with 20 hens, and 2 Australorps went broody and raised 3 batches of chicks.

Each time, the moms seemed to teach the chicks that we are Big Bad Monsters -- the chicks freak out and run away whenever we are near.

We made friends with last year's pullets... We made a new production coop and moved them in there, and did a lot of PR, holding them and giving them treats, and they pretty much came around. 3 of the 10 are very friendly and come right up around us, practically jump into our arms, etc. The other 7 aren't quite as tame but at least they don't seem afraid of us any more.

We gave away some of this year's chicks, and will move the remaining pullets into the production coop with last year's girls. (And we will eat 3 roos.)

Anyway, my question is, is it normal for broody hens to act like that, training the chicks to be wary of everyone else but her? (The mom of this year's little chicks even made them terrified of the slightly bigger chicks that hatched in the same brood coop.)

Or should we try breeding our friendliest & tamest hens next year?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

we did the same thing with 5 of our australorps, it is more of us being big that scares them. it is eiser with them penned up to handle them so they get used to you.

 

[aart]

and did a lot of PR, holding them and giving them treats, and they pretty much came around.

This is what it takes, no matter where/how chicks/chickens are raised.