Broody hens and baby chicks!

[groomerbess]

I have Buff Orpingtons and this is my first with any breed other than Black Australorps! I have not experienced hens that bury their eggs in the bedding! We dig for them everyday and the broody hens lay on them constantly! We apparently have missed a couple because there is a baby chick under her wing! I have no clue how she managed to hide that egg for the 21 days it takes to hatch! My question now is will she keep the chick safe from the rest of the flock? I keep a heat lamp in the coop during the winter and I have the door down now but it's cold and I don't want to keep my other chickens locked out!

 

[picklestheduck]

I have Buff Orpingtons and this is my first with any breed other than Black Australorps! I have not experienced hens that bury their eggs in the bedding! We dig for them everyday and the broody hens lay on them constantly! We apparently have missed a couple because there is a baby chick under her wing! I have no clue how she managed to hide that egg for the 21 days it takes to hatch! My question now is will she keep the chick safe from the rest of the flock? I keep a heat lamp in the coop during the winter and I have the door down now but it's cold and I don't want to keep my other chickens locked out!

Do you have a different area you could separate her into? I’ve never dealt with a broody hatching chicks but I know many people will separate them. I also know broodys can be extremely protective so if she’s doing it right will probably keep other birds in check, but it depends on the bird and again I don’t have experience with it. Sorry I don’t much advice, hopefully my post will help others see this as well.

 

[KRack]

I had to get a “maternity coop” when my broody hatched her single chick. The other hens did not accept it right away, and she was a really good mom, but couldn’t keep up with their aggression.

I kept this new much smaller coop with mom and baby, right beside the main one with the other hens, and eventually they got used to seeing it with her and accepted it. Mom also got some strength back during that time and was more aggressive if anyone tried anything once they were our after a week or two.

Many flocks just accept the chick though, so hopefully that’s the case with yours! Congratulations!! That’s a funny sweet story!!

 

[Isadora]

I wouldn't separate unless the mother shows she not capable of defending her chick.
I've had several hens raise their chicks among the whole flock and all of them were great protective moms.

 

[groomerbess]

I wouldn't separate unless the mother shows she not capable of defending her chick.
I've had several hens raise their chicks among the whole flock and all of them were great protective moms.

Thank you! I was hoping to hear someone say that! I hope they accept it! Idk how Cluck Norris will do with the little one, he's a nice rooster with us but he sure does his thing with the ladies! Hopefully all works out

 

[Isadora]

Thank you! I was hoping to hear someone say that! I hope they accept it! Idk how Cluck Norris will do with the little one, he's a nice rooster with us but he sure does his thing with the ladies! Hopefully all works out

Hopefully! My rooster didn't care at all about the little fluffies.

 

[Klutch]

If you really want your peeper to survive, separate the pair. It only takes one good peck and your peeper will go to heaven.

 

[groomerbess]

Boy do I have an experience to share!
I went out to the coop during daylight hours, I work a lot so I don't usually see it in daylight during the winter. I put extra woodchips in and cleaned the
the feeder and waterer that I had in there for the baby and mama. Both were doing great! As soon as mama got out of the nesting area to eat the baby followed and then I saw TEN eggs that were under her! Oh no! I took the eggs (planning to discard them) and just leave her with the chick she had. I got in the house with the eggs and realized they were chirping! I never knew eggs could chirp! I panicked and took the chirping eggs back out to her, she happily let me put them under her wings and the baby was in the nesting box with her doing fine. I went out there last night and did the normal things but did not hear the baby chirping, I didn't worry about it due to the babies I've gotten from stores sleeping quietly in the past, I assumed it was sleeping. I went out this morning to check on them, again in daylight, NO chicks! Not even any remnants of chicks! I took the eggs that I put back out there with her and discarded them.
The plan from here forward is to move her broody butt and dig for ALL the eggs and not let her have her way until May! I think in the warm weather she can lead them out and teach them to be chickens and because I let them roam outside of their pen in the summer I'm hoping the other chickens will leave her and her babies alone! My hope is that I don't change her mind about being broody and raising babies!
Any responses, ideas and advice is greatly appreciated, thank you in advance!