Broody Hen Thread!

[MesMama]

I'm gathering that there are two schools of thought as to whether to separate the hens and their new chicks from the rest of the flock? I would love to just have them all together and not have to separate, am I living in a dream world? LOL! I have 8 BO hens and a BO roo, he's super sweet and very watchful, just a really good roo, so I'm wondering if he would protect them from the other hens getting "pecky"?

 

[SIMZ]

Update: *NOTE: I know many of you won't agree with this and I'm sorry. I did want to update to share.

Late last night I moved the chicks under one hen. After reading everyone's thoughts and tossing and turning, I was up at dawn to check. I kept checking the hen and she was fine, as were the chicks. "Libby" is now chickless and I do feel bad about that. She's doing ok - we didn't have the trauma that happened when I took 3 week olds away from a hen - probably because I did it at night? Libby is in a dog crate today and I'll start introducing her back into the main coop in a day or so. She frequently goes broody, so she'll get her turn raising chicks all the way through the next time.

I can now move my 1st broody and older chicks into their own coop and spacious run within the main flock. The 2nd broody will have a large hutch all to herself and her own spacious run area adjacent to the main flock. Neither will have to worry about losing chicks behind barriers and trying to protect their chicks from all the activity of 3 hens and chicks in such cramped quarters. I won't have to worry about that, either!

What a relief! Now I can enjoy watching the hens peacefully take care of those adorable chicks!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I'm gathering that there are two schools of thought as to whether to separate the hens and their new chicks from the rest of the flock? I would love to just have them all together and not have to separate, am I living in a dream world? LOL! I have 8 BO hens and a BO roo, he's super sweet and very watchful, just a really good roo, so I'm wondering if he would protect them from the other hens getting "pecky"?

I have always left my broodies in the flock to hatch and raise their chicks - have not had an issue with any of mine.

 

[Texas4T]

Last night a broody hen came to eat with all the layers. She is yet a third broody, but is not setting in the hen house. I am afraid she chose a spot out in the brush somewhere and has a hidden clutch of eggs in their free range pasture. Not worried about predators, as I also have free range poultry guardian dogs that know their jobs. More worried that out of 23 layers, I get 15 eggs per day now. Two broodies in the coop not laying, I am hoping that means some of my older girls just don't lay every day (most likely), and not that they have a communal nest in the mud. Hopefully she is only sitting on her own eggs out there.

 

[MesMama]

I have always left my broodies in the flock to hatch and raise their chicks - have not had an issue with any of mine.

Thanks! I guess we really don't know until we try it? I will feel TERRIBLE if the little chicks get pecked to death, but honestly I just can't see my girls doing that or my rooster allowing it?? The only time I see them get after each other is during "snack time" or when they are getting up on the roost. They just aren't super pecky. My mom has one that picks on everyone, even the rooster! :O Her days are numbered...

 

[SIMZ]

For those of you that let the hens and chicks out in the main flock: What is your set up? Free range? Do you spend all day chasing chicks down? LOL

I like the chicks to be 2-3 weeks old before they're out with the flock. Otherwise, it seems that some of the chicks get separated from mom inside a coop or a run somewhere. Then there's all kinds of fighting and panic. Or maybe I'm the one that panics?

Either way, I'm so much more comfortable waiting until the chicks understand walls and fences a little better to send them off.

Also, it seems like the chicks are around a week old before they can follow the hen into any kind of elevated structure? Where do your broodies and chicks sleep?

Finally, do you have many die that way, or do they all generally make it.

Thanks!

 

[Majd]

For those of you that let the hens and chicks out in the main flock:  What is your set up?  Free range?  Do you spend all day chasing chicks down?  LOL

I like the chicks to be 2-3 weeks old before they're out with the flock.  Otherwise, it seems that some of the chicks get separated from mom inside a coop or a run somewhere.  Then there's all kinds of fighting and panic.  Or maybe I'm the one that panics?  :/   Either way, I'm so much more comfortable waiting until the chicks understand walls and fences a little better to send them off. 

Also, it seems like the chicks are around a week old before they can follow the hen into any kind of elevated structure?  Where do your broodies and chicks sleep? 

Finally, do you have many die that way, or do they all generally make it. 

Thanks!

Mine are out with their mom to the main flock as early as 5 days old(sometimes i wait more).... Never had a problem mommy knows how to manage her family and the key to this success is that they free range on a decent peice of land freely so everyone goes about their business and no one really bothers the chicks and mom.... The broody tends to keep the chicks at a good distance from the other birds.... So the key is enough space... In a run its almost impossible to do that without trouble..... Usually the broody and chicks have their own sleeping area (a crate, cage, big wooden box.... Etc) with their own food and water...
If the mom weans the chicks early they stay in they own area until they are old enough then they move to sleeping in the coop... And it works for us!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

For those of you that let the hens and chicks out in the main flock: What is your set up? Free range? Do you spend all day chasing chicks down? LOL

I like the chicks to be 2-3 weeks old before they're out with the flock. Otherwise, it seems that some of the chicks get separated from mom inside a coop or a run somewhere. Then there's all kinds of fighting and panic. Or maybe I'm the one that panics?

Either way, I'm so much more comfortable waiting until the chicks understand walls and fences a little better to send them off.

Also, it seems like the chicks are around a week old before they can follow the hen into any kind of elevated structure? Where do your broodies and chicks sleep?

Finally, do you have many die that way, or do they all generally make it.

Thanks!

We have a coop attached to a run that the birds are in most of the time - they only free range on a limited basis as we have a large number of neighborhood dogs that are not kept confined/at home and our current property is small with occupied properties very close. My previous flock free ranged most of the time with only being confined to the run as needed because our location then was a large property surrounded by crop fields with the nearest occupied property being 1/2 mile away. Can't say I've spent any time chasing chicks in either setup.
I've had broodies take that have taken their babies right out with the rest of the flock as soon as they left the nest after hatching and I've had broodies who keep to themselves for a few days after. This last time around (my first hatching in many years, so I had forgotten how little worry is really needed) I did have them sectioned off within the main coop for the first three days or so - then realized that I was having to put a lot more work into this whole thing than I remembered ever doing with previous hatches and realized that was the only difference - I had created work and worry for myself by trying to maintain them in their own section of things. Most of the worry/panic in these situations is, indeed, unique to the human component of the whole affair. Babies may wander a bit far afield from mama now and then but one or the other will call out and a family reunion takes place - have yet to have anyone get separated and unable to get back together on their own. My babies have never had an issue going up and down ramps, etc. with their mother - she goes, they follow - if they don't figure it out right off they call out and she comes back for a one-on-one lesson on how to navigate that particular obstacle.
The flock gives them their space - more often than a flock member intruding on the chicks it is the chicks that wander a bit away from their mother and invade the space of a flock member. At those times, the older chicken gives the chick a deserved reminder of the courtesies of chicken society and the chick runs back to mama. If/when mama feels someone is being overly aggressive about the lessons of chick manners, she will step in - but she is also a good judge of when her little ones are out of line (wouldn't it be nice if the same were true of humans) and will let the lessons be given.
I honestly, in all my years and multiple hatches, can't think of a single chick I've lost - in fact, quite the opposite, my broody raised chicks that are allowed to just "be chickens" from day one are generally healthier, grow better and come along all around more vigorously. I have not once had a situation where a flock member injured or killed a chick, where a chick just got hopelessly lost and died, etc.

 

[robjenn26]

I have two silkies that are more broody then not. And boy do they have full blown attitudes. They become creatures from another planet.

 

[TXchickenchick]

We have a coop attached to a run that the birds are in most of the time - they only free range on a limited basis as we have a large number of neighborhood dogs that are not kept confined/at home and our current property is small with occupied properties very close.  My previous flock free ranged most of the time with only being confined to the run as needed because our location then was a large property surrounded by crop fields with the nearest occupied property being 1/2 mile away.  Can't say I've spent any time chasing chicks in either setup.
I've had broodies take that have taken their babies right out with the rest of the flock as soon as they left the nest after hatching and I've had broodies who keep to themselves for a few days after.  This last time around (my first hatching in many years, so I had forgotten how little worry is really needed) I did have them sectioned off within the main coop for the first three days or so - then realized that I was having to put a lot more work into this whole thing than I remembered ever doing with previous hatches and realized that was the only difference - I had created work and worry for myself by trying to maintain them in their own section of things.  Most of the worry/panic in these situations is, indeed, unique to the human component of the whole affair.  Babies may wander a bit far afield from mama now and then but one or the other will call out and a family reunion takes place - have yet to have anyone get separated and unable to get back together on their own.  My babies have never had an issue going up and down ramps, etc. with their mother - she goes, they follow - if they don't figure it out right off they call out and she comes back for a one-on-one lesson on how to navigate that particular obstacle. 
The flock gives them their space - more often than a flock member intruding on the chicks it is the chicks that wander a bit away from their mother and invade the space of a flock member.  At those times, the older chicken gives the chick a deserved reminder of the courtesies of chicken society and the chick runs back to mama.  If/when mama feels someone is being overly aggressive about the lessons of chick manners, she will step in - but she is also a good judge of when her little ones are out of line (wouldn't it be nice if the same were true of humans) and will let the lessons be given. 
I honestly, in all my years and multiple hatches, can't think of a single chick I've lost - in fact, quite the opposite, my broody raised chicks that are allowed to just "be chickens" from day one are generally healthier, grow better and come along all around more vigorously.  I have not once had a situation where a flock member injured or killed a chick, where a chick just got hopelessly lost and died, etc.

This right here sums it up perfectly! Momma hens can and do keep their babies safe. Even my really incompetent momma hen (she stomped two of her chicks to death by accident) keeps them completely safe and happy out free ranging with everyone else. I believe the poor little klutz would have squished them all if she had been confined!

One of my mommas is my only bantam. She is just a tiny little thing. Not one of my other chickens ever hurt her babies and if anyone would be in danger of not being able to protect their chicks you would think it would surely be her. I did have one chick drown in our duck pool. After that happened their momma has kept them far away from it.

I used to either buy chicks or hatch them in an incubator. I would then raise them myself until they could be integrated. It's a hard process and even when they are fairly large, puts them in danger. Being raised with the flock completely eliminates all those worries.