Broody hatched her egg now what?

[Henrybelle]

My 2/3 year old broody hen has finally hatched her first egg. So now my question is what’s next for her and her chick will she lay again? Will she go broody again? How long before Chicky starts wandering around without her or will they be lifelong mates and form their own sub flock? Any tips here would be helpful thanks.

 

[HappyClucker7]

First of all, congrats on your new chick!
To answer your first question, yes, she will lay again. It will take a few weeks, but then she'll get back into her usual laying schedule.
Your hen will most likely go broody again. That just gives you an excuse to hatch more chicks!
The mom and the baby will not form their own flock. At first, the baby will always stay by mom, and they will always be together. Then, when the baby gets a little older, she'll start wandering farther from mom, and be more independent. Eventually, when the chick is a few weeks old, the mom will stop sleeping in the nest box with her. Then, when the baby is about 2-3 months old, the mom will completely separate herself from the baby. Sometimes, this separation can be kind of brutal, because the mama hen might peck the chick to tell her to go away. Finally, the baby and the mom will separate, and the baby will become a member of the flock like her mom. The mom will go back to her usual self.

 

[MarkJr]

She will continue to set for about 24 hours.
After that, she will bring the chicks among the flock. Outside she will teach how to scratch and forage. I will warn now, a rototiller has nothing on a broody hen scratching for babies. She will even get them up on the roosts with the flock.
They will be inseparable for the first few weeks. 3weeks minimum to however long. My broody weaned at 7 weeks. By weaning, I mean pecking them like she doesn’t know who they are. They then jump on roosts thinking they have mommas protection..... just to find out they don’t. And life becomes staying away from the grown ups. Nice thing is grown ups aren’t out to kill them..... just showing them where they stand.
Momma hen should start laying about the time she weans. Next broody spell will come whenever she feels like it. My broody happens once a year middle to end of May. 3 years running.

 

[Peppercorngal]

If your hen is not already in a "floor" nest box, now is the time to move her and the chick. The first day the hen will normally stay with the chick in the box. The 2nd day she will take the chick out to show her what to eat and drink. The Mom hen will protect the chick from the other chickens, who may show some interest, but Mom will not allow it. Be sure to have some chick starter food for them both, it's good for mom hen as well. Have water close as too. I find it's best to let mom and chick be with the flock. She will raise the chick until it gets old enough to fend for itself and then she will reject it. They do not interact after that really. After the chick is weaned she will begin to lay again, but that won't be for at least a month out. Congratulations!! And Good Luck!

 

[Henrybelle]

Thanks everybody for the helpful tips! She is about a week old at this point And mommas done a swell job taking care of,hopefully “her“. Is she going to be a”loner” though when she is weaned since I don’t have any other chicks her age? Or will she “friends”?

 

[HappyClucker7]

Thanks everybody for the helpful tips! She is about a week old at this point And mommas done a swell job taking care of,hopefully “her“. Is she going to be a”loner” though when she is weaned since I don’t have any other chicks her age? Or will she “friends”?

She'll just become part of the flock and make friends with your adult birds.

 

[Peppercorngal]

She (he???) will grow up and just blend into the flock. Sometimes a chicken will become attached to another and hang out together, but sometimes not. You'll have to wait and see! How about showing us some photos?????