Broody Hen Thread!

[Pure Poultry]

The thing is that the mother is low on the peaking order and always runs from other chickens and we have a brown leghorn hen and it is very bossy and she has killed young chicks before. The chick she killed was the RIR other chick so we don't want to do that yet.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

The thing is that the mother is low on the peaking order and always runs from other chickens and we have a brown leghorn hen and it is very bossy and she has killed young chicks before. The chick she killed was the RIR other chick so we don't want to do that yet.

Which is why momma is hanging back at the cage...she doesn't want a repeat.

I would not integrate them immediately but let them be sectioned off in a pen together where they can see the flock.

If you have especially vigilant higher pecking order hens, you may even have to wait to integrate at 10 weeks or so.

Too aggressive, you may wish to remove that hen from the flock and integrate the lower order mother/chick, then reintroduce the bossy one after she's had a good time out (like a week). That might knock her down a peg in the pecking order...or make her try to take her position with renewed vigor.

Never be afraid to remove and dispose of any hen that is overly aggressive. There is just no need for it. Pecking order is normal, some hussle and tussle to keep it to be expected, but nobody should kill or maime. That is too far for my humble flock.

LofMc

 

[fisherlady]

Which is why momma is hanging back at the cage...she doesn't want a repeat.

I would not integrate them immediately but let them be sectioned off in a pen together where they can see the flock.

If you have especially vigilant higher pecking order hens, you may even have to wait to integrate at 10 weeks or so.

Too aggressive, you may wish to remove that hen from the flock and integrate the lower order mother/chick, then reintroduce the bossy one after she's had a good time out (like a week). That might knock her down a peg in the pecking order...or make her try to take her position with renewed vigor.

Never be afraid to remove and dispose of any hen that is overly aggressive. There is just no need for it. Pecking order is normal, some hussle and tussle to keep it to be expected, but nobody should kill or maime. That is too far for my humble flock.

LofMc

X2.... that behavior shouldn't be accepted in a flock if you want to move toward broody hens raising chicks...

 

[Pure Poultry]

Which is why momma is hanging back at the cage...she doesn't want a repeat.

I would not integrate them immediately but let them be sectioned off in a pen together where they can see the flock.

If you have especially vigilant higher pecking order hens, you may even have to wait to integrate at 10 weeks or so.

Too aggressive, you may wish to remove that hen from the flock and integrate the lower order mother/chick, then reintroduce the bossy one after she's had a good time out (like a week). That might knock her down a peg in the pecking order...or make her try to take her position with renewed vigor.

Never be afraid to remove and dispose of any hen that is overly aggressive. There is just no need for it. Pecking order is normal, some hussle and tussle to keep it to be expected, but nobody should kill or maime. That is too far for my humble flock.

LofMc

Thanks. The mother and chick have been in a cage in the pen where they can see the flock from the very start. The coop is a bit small and mum was getting a bit frazzled up. She would pace up and down the cage and stepping on the chick if it was in the road. This is why we removed her but not the chick. Hopefully the mother hen can get back in the peaking order and then we will see how the chick goes in the pen

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks. The mother and chick have been in a cage in the pen where they can see the flock from the very start. The coop is a bit small and mum was getting a bit frazzled up. She would pace up and down the cage and stepping on the chick if it was in the road. This is why we removed her but not the chick. Hopefully the mother hen can get back in the peaking order and then we will see how the chick goes in the pen

Can you possibly subdivide your run such that mother and chick have more space but not part of the flock yet?

It is generally best to integrate 2 at a time rather than 1 single bird. The two stick together and watch each other's backs....while a single can get picked on by all sides.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[aart]

When I took own the coop partition wall between broody with chicks and the main flock when chicks were 2 weeks old,
broody got into 3 hellacious fights with 3 different previously higher ranking hens.
Me and the rooster broke the fights up and it didn't happen again, the chicks were never a target or part of the fights.
Now broody mama keeps most the other birds far away, actually completely out of the coop, most the day.

 

[LogCabinChicks]

So my broody hen has not pooped since last Sunday! I'm really worried. I made her get off the eggs last night and she actually ate and drank, the mash hasn't been touched in a few days either so thats why I picked her up off the nest, and put her by the food (which is less than a foot away). I don't think what she ate is sufficient though...should I keep intervening or will she be okay?

No poop in or around the nest either....

 

[mak1]

if sheneeds to poop she wil get out and poop. Usually in the morning we take her out of the nest and let her eat and drink and dust in the sand until she poops.

 

[Dekachick]

I had the same concerns. My broody sat on a nest for two weeks before we put 10 eggs under her so she had already lost a lot of weight.. I was able to feed her some of her favorite foods from a small tuna tin while she sat on the nest. She loves cooked rice, bits of carrots, apple pieces, bits of tomato. I was also concerned that she wasn't drinking enough so tried to give her fruit high in water content. Now she loves that special "breakfast in bed". I also took her out of the nest once a day for her "special meal" and she almost always rewarded me with a a most incredible smelling poop! At times we would go into her coop and she would have already been out to do her business. Two days ago was the 21st day and we heard the little peeps of the beginning of the hatch. I just peeked quickly under her and there are at least 5 little chicks maybe more so all the time we both invested has paid off in spade! We are excited to see the chicks when she let them out!!

 

[stuckupnorth]

I was wondering if roosters a a treat to new chicks in a coop