Broody hen with chicks being picked on by the rest of the flock!

[Danny188]

I have had my broody in a pen within the main chicken pen for 3 weeks with her 3 week old chicks. I wanted to see how she and the chicks would react with the rest of the flock so I would know if I needed to buy all flock feed or if I would have problems and have to keep them separate for longer. I set the broody and her chicks in with the rest of the hens and she seemed to be protecting them by puffing up her feathers and spreading her wings but then one of the hens pecked her and jumped on her back, then when she got away she abandoned her chicks for a few seconds then went back in to try to get the chicks away from the other hens, she got pecked again and ran, while the chicks went through the fence to the other side. None of the other hens pecked the chicks but isent the broody supposed to be the one beating up on the hens when they get too close? I have seen her attack one of the new pullets that is low on the pecking order. I dont know if I can trust her to protect them or not. Also, I have a rooster I was wondering how he will react to the chicks as they grow up or when he finds out there are new roosters, I will be getting rid of the new roosters as soon as I know which ones are roosters.

 

[Mrs. K]

You are at the end of the broody hormone. A lot of people make this mistake, they wait until the chicks are bigger, then let them in with the flock. And the problem is the broody hen is considered a stranger to and she winds up defending herself, and while doing that the chicks are on their own when the broody hormone has already begun to drop.

Personally, once they are hatched mine are in the flock, but I also leave mine in the flock with the layers, because she spends 21 days in HIGH hormone and whips everybody's but on a daily basis...so when she comes out with chicks, she is highly respected and left alone.

What I would do in your current case, is add a lot of hideouts to your run. Put a pallet up on bricks just high enough the chicks can get under it, but bigger birds cannot. Lean a pallet up against the walls, so that birds can get behind it and out of sight. Offer multiple feeders at different places all around the run. Do feed either chick starter or flock feed to everyone. Add calcium on the side.

I would let them work it out on their terms, but with the hideouts so that it is not an endless pursuit and attack mode.

Mrs K

 

[Danny188]

You are at the end of the broody hormone. A lot of people make this mistake, they wait until the chicks are bigger, then let them in with the flock. And the problem is the broody hen is considered a stranger to and she winds up defending herself, and while doing that the chicks are on their own when the broody hormone has already begun to drop.

Personally, once they are hatched mine are in the flock, but I also leave mine in the flock with the layers, because she spends 21 days in HIGH hormone and whips everybody's but on a daily basis...so when she comes out with chicks, she is highly respected and left alone.

What I would do in your current case, is add a lot of hideouts to your run. Put a pallet up on bricks just high enough the chicks can get under it, but bigger birds cannot. Lean a pallet up against the walls, so that birds can get behind it and out of sight. Offer multiple feeders at different places all around the run. Do feed either chick starter or flock feed to everyone. Add calcium on the side.

I would let them work it out on their terms, but with the hideouts so that it is not an endless pursuit and attack mode.

Mrs K

Ok thank you for explaining it for me, the layers still have a bag and a half of layer feed left to eat, that will take a 2 weeks then I will buy chick starter or all flock and make some hide outs.