We've had several successful broody adoptions through the years. This is our first fail. We did everything the same as in the past so I am tempted to blame the hen. Our Salmon Faverolle went broody last year and I decided not to give her chicks because she was so skittish and unstable. In the past we found Buff Orpingtons to be perfect mothers and even our Belgian Mille Fleur d'Uccle did an outstanding job raising full-size chicks. The Salmon Faverolle just didn't seem behaviorally suited to the job but I really needed to add some new blood to the flock so when she went broody at the beginning of the month I talked myself into it.
Bad decision. Story and pics here if you are interested:
https://polloplayer.wordpress.com/2022/07/16/be-careful-what-you-wish-for/
The lingering question I have is: would the outcome have been different if I had been able to let her brood another week? It wasn't an option because there are no baby chicks available until two more weeks from now, which wouldn't have worked. She's been absolutely glued to the nest for two weeks, doing the whole spooky clucking thing and being completely impossible to deal with, so she seemed like a convincing broody to me. The concern I've had about her is that she is very skittish and always in attack mode toward us (although very low in the pecking order with the other hens). She went into attack mode with the chicks this morning and I decided to take them away from her rather than risk injury. I've seen broody hens peck at chicks before but not attack them. This was serious.
We'll hand raise the chicks and they will be fine. I just wonder going forward if I'm right to judge potential motherhood in a hen by its general behavior and pecking order within the flock?
Bad decision. Story and pics here if you are interested:
https://polloplayer.wordpress.com/2022/07/16/be-careful-what-you-wish-for/
The lingering question I have is: would the outcome have been different if I had been able to let her brood another week? It wasn't an option because there are no baby chicks available until two more weeks from now, which wouldn't have worked. She's been absolutely glued to the nest for two weeks, doing the whole spooky clucking thing and being completely impossible to deal with, so she seemed like a convincing broody to me. The concern I've had about her is that she is very skittish and always in attack mode toward us (although very low in the pecking order with the other hens). She went into attack mode with the chicks this morning and I decided to take them away from her rather than risk injury. I've seen broody hens peck at chicks before but not attack them. This was serious.
We'll hand raise the chicks and they will be fine. I just wonder going forward if I'm right to judge potential motherhood in a hen by its general behavior and pecking order within the flock?
