Broodies rushing chicks to roost

[K0k0shka]

I have 2 broodies raising same-age chicks together, 6 between the two of them. The chicks are 2 weeks old, all fluff except for the wings. For the past couple of nights, the broodies have been trying to get the chicks to roost for the night, but they’ve been going to the top roost with everybody else (4 feet up), even though I have several lower roosts, including one just a few inches from the ground. The chicks can get up, but some fall down and can’t get back up. Also, when on the roost, they don’t all fit under the hens where it’s warm. I know there’s a similar thread from today, but my situation is different in that it gets colder over here at night - 50’s - and I don’t have a rooster who lovingly jumps down to be with the fallen babies (and the moms don’t either, even though the chicks cry for them). So I’m worried the fallen fluffs will get cold. I’ve been going out every night and moving the broodies and the chicks to the floor. When I do, the chicks all stuff themselves under the moms, so they clearly still need the warmth.

So my question is, WTF moms?!? Should I keep moving them to the floor until the chicks feather out? Will that break their budding habit and discourage them from roosting later on? I haven’t been in this situation with broodies before, rushing to roost so soon, these have caught me unprepared.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I personally would keep moving them for a bit. Usually by 3-4 weeks many chicks will go to roost. To the hen it's much safer off the ground, so that's where she goes.

 

[K0k0shka]

I personally would keep moving them for a bit. Usually by 3-4 weeks many chicks will go to roost. To the hen it's much safer off the ground, so that's where she goes.

It’s been an interesting dynamic to watch. One of the hens has raised chicks before, and her method is to keep them on the ground until they are older. She’s a very good mom overall. Broody #2 has been making a lot of mistakes, some of which have cost her a couple of babies. It’s her who started pushing the early roost thing. Broody #1’s only shortcoming is that she REALLY wants the two of them and all their babies to stay together as one unit, so she’ll settle down wherever the other one goes. They even slept all crammed in a nesting box together until recently! Bad broody doesn’t seem to realize the babies are too young for the top roost. Good broody does, and starts out on the floor, but when she sees the other one go up to the roost, she can’t resist and follows. It really shows how chickens were meant to be communal breeders. That’s why they want to lay where another hen is already sitting, even with 5 empty nests available nearby, and if you have 1 broody, chances are others will soon “catch it” and follow, too. These two girls are a team, always together, even if sometimes it’s not in their best interest…

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've got two that have bunched their chicks together. I believe they are mother and daughter. It is nice to know there are two moms watching out for them.

First time mom's can be a bit erratic. I have one broody currently who is a wonderful mom for her second year hatching, but during the first year she tried to run off and go out to free range while her chick ran around the run screaming his head off. They do seem to learn, but their first batch seems to be a tester batch so I keep an eye on things and help out when necessary.

 

[K0k0shka]

I've got two that have bunched their chicks together. I believe they are mother and daughter. It is nice to know there are two moms watching out for them.

First time mom's can be a bit erratic. I have one broody currently who is a wonderful mom for her second year hatching, but during the first year she tried to run off and go out to free range while her chick ran around the run screaming his head off. They do seem to learn, but their first batch seems to be a tester batch so I keep an eye on things and help out when necessary.

There’s so much individual variation. My better broody is more experienced than the other one, but even with her first brood, she did everything right, from the start. The other one is a first timer this year and is messing up a lot. My initial plan was to leave just her and break the other one, but she was doing such a bad job with the eggs, that I lost my confidence and left the experienced one on fake eggs just as a backup. The first timer continued messing up big time once the chicks started hatching, too, and that’s when I divided up the batch and gave the other one part of the chicks. I was hoping she’d teach her friend how to do this, but the teaching part isn’t really happening. I don’t know if the sucky broody will do better next year… Honestly, I don’t really care to find out. I’ve got a reliable mama, so I think I’m just going to use her from now on. This year I wanted to let somebody else have a turn, but the experience has been very frustrating.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My suggestion is to break the one hen from being broody and let the other hen raise them alone.

I've had a broody take her chicks to the roosts at two weeks age before but it was warmer than you are seeing.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My pheonix 'Auntie' roosted when her chick was 2 days old. Suffice to say I didn't let her brood that year when I realized what she did