Broody Hen Thread!

[katatonic123]

Couple of questions about broody behavior.  I have two older OEG Bantam Hens (6 years or so).  One raised a clutch of 2 standard laying chicks and the babies are now about 5 months old and huge (3 times the size of their broody).  She doesn't really call them anymore but the three are still thick as thieves,  she follows them and pals around with them all over the large run and they still sleep together at night.  With winter she is not likely to go broody again this year, is it common for them to maintain close relationships with their adolescent chicks?

Second question -- I also have a 3 year old Buff Orp hen that has never gone broody yet she appears to mother both of the same chicks. She has clucked to them as if calling them for food and both chicks cuddle up to her at night, one likes to snuggle underneath her and is sometimes under her wing. The buff is at the top of the pecking order which makes her kindness to the pullets even sweeter.  Is it common for non-broody hens to show what appears to be nurturing instincts towards older chicks?

1st question - I have a momma with a 19 week old chick that are still almost inseparable. I wondered if it was just because she was an only chick.
2nd question - I have a hen who has been mothering another hen since they were a few weeks old. They are about a week apart and the smaller hen is a tiny bantam so she fits under a wing like a 6 week old chick. Nothing like not being able to find a chick because your other chick is sitting on top of it. Neither one roost. They sleep side by side, usually with OJ under DJ's wing. Before PJ went broody she would even try to be under DJ and they are the same age/size.

 

[Sonya9]

1st question - I have a momma with a 19 week old chick that are still almost inseparable. I wondered if it was just because she was an only chick.

That is interesting, my two bantams have raised 3 clutches this year, often only 2 chicks to a clutch. I always worried that if one chick died the other would be the "odd man out" during adolescence. I have Mareks in the flock so I am always worried about the adolescents being stressed.

I think fall is playing a part in this too, this late in the year they aren't as likely to get the hormonal urge for another clutch so they aren't in a rush to cut ties with their chicks. The sister bantam had a clutch in early spring and when her chicks were 10 weeks or so and able to take care of themselves she cut them off and started chatting up the rooster the same day, she went broody again within 2-3 weeks.

 

[kloverdarling]

Wondering if this is normal. I have a broody hen, she hatched 8 eggs. They are about two weeks old. After about a week she started sleeping in a nest and not with the chicks. I have a sweeter heater in a tub in my coop for them which they sleep in at night now. She still protects them during the day but isn't sleeping with them...is this normal?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Wondering if this is normal. I have a broody hen, she hatched 8 eggs. They are about two weeks old. After about a week she started sleeping in a nest and not with the chicks. I have a sweeter heater in a tub in my coop for them which they sleep in at night now. She still protects them during the day but isn't sleeping with them...is this normal?

I never have that to happen----65 broodies in a little over a year. Were you heating their pen/setup for the hatched broody and her babies? If so Is it to warm for her?? What breed hen is she? On second thought----My broody hen and her babies are always separated/private from the other chickens----might be why I never have that problem? She stays with the chicks till I feel they do not need her anymore----then I put her back with the other hens.

 

[rachelsflock]

Just lurking, but anyone have an opinion on the best breed of broody hen?

 

[Sonya9]

Wondering if this is normal. I have a broody hen, she hatched 8 eggs. They are about two weeks old. After about a week she started sleeping in a nest and not with the chicks. I have a sweeter heater in a tub in my coop for them which they sleep in at night now. She still protects them during the day but isn't sleeping with them...is this normal?

One of my oeg bantam broodies did something similar. I gave her two heritage RIR chicks and they are very very slow to develop (they were all down until about 6-7 weeks old).

Anyway when they were 3 weeks she decided they should be able to fly up to the roosts (the way her previous bantam clutches did) but they couldn't fly at all. Every night she would be on the top roost and they would be on the floor. I started putting her and the chicks in a crate at night (in the coop) so she stayed with them. I did not have a heater in the coop.

That was several weeks go, she is still mothering them and fortunately now they can fly up and join her on the roosts.

Maybe your hen thinks the chicks should be able to follow her into the nest? Why aren't they following her? Can they reach it?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Just lurking, but anyone have an opinion on the best breed of broody hen?

Game!! They hatch 100's and 100's per year for me.

 

[kloverdarling]

I never have that to happen----65 broodies in a little over a year. Were you heating their pen/setup for the hatched broody and her babies? If so Is it to warm for her?? What breed hen is she? On second thought----My broody hen and her babies are always separated/private from the other chickens----might be why I never have that problem? She stays with the chicks till I feel they do not need her anymore----then I put her back with the other hens.

She is a BPR, named Girl. This is also her first time being broody and she is less than a year old. I didn't add the heat til I noticed her leaving the chicks at night. It seems like all she wants to do is sit on eggs. Not super concerned because I have the heater set but I thought it was weird nonetheless.

 

[kloverdarling]

I never have that to happen----65 broodies in a little over a year. Were you heating their pen/setup for the hatched broody and her babies? If so Is it to warm for her?? What breed hen is she? On second thought----My broody hen and her babies are always separated/private from the other chickens----might be why I never have that problem? She stays with the chicks till I feel they do not need her anymore----then I put her back with the other hens.

She is a BPR, named Girl. This is also her first time being broody and she is less than a year old. I didn't add the heat til I noticed her leaving the chicks at night. It seems like all she wants to do is sit on eggs. Not super concerned because I have the heater set but I thought it was weird nonetheless.

 

[kloverdarling]

One of my oeg bantam broodies did something similar.  I gave her two heritage RIR chicks and they are very very slow to develop (they were all down until about 6-7 weeks old).

Anyway when they were 3 weeks she decided they should be able to fly up to the roosts (the way her previous bantam clutches did) but they couldn't fly at all.  Every night she would be on the top roost and they would be on the floor. I started putting her and the chicks in a crate at night (in the coop) so she stayed with them. I did not have a heater in the coop.

That was several weeks go, she is still mothering them and fortunately now they can fly up and join her on the roosts. 

Maybe your hen thinks the chicks should be able to follow her into the nest? Why aren't they following her? Can they reach it?

My nests are 2-2 1/2 feet off the coop floor so no they cannot reach. At this point they have the heated tub in the coop they sleep in. They seem fine and she stays with them during the day.