Broody left her chicks for the big coop...seeking advice

[WizChick]

Heres my situation. My BO went broody at the end of March. I gave her 5 leghorn eggs, she hatched 3. At about a week old I allowed them outside with her for the day and would bring them all back inside for the night. A week of that and I began allowing them to stay out for the night. They have been outside day and night with their mom for about two and a half weeks now. This week she has transformed back to who she was before going broody and has left the chicks to spend the night alone in their kennel.

They are 4 1/2 weeks old. Should I allow them to stay in the kennel by themselves for the night? Should I move them to the coop with her? or should I bring them back inside? They were totally confused. Poor chicks.

 

[WizChick]

Sorry. This was a late night semi-panic post. As time passed I realized putting them in the coop with their mom would be a bad idea. I would have to be sure and open the coop before everyone wakes up so they could escape the mean big girls. I decided to let nature take it's course and let them sleep in the kennel on the porch as usual. I'm sure they will be fine.

 

[sourland]

Just part of the cycle. She is moving on. Lay some more eggs, set again, raise the chicks, repeat. Your response was absolutely correct.

 

[WizChick]

They survived the night without mom's warmth.
I don't know why I anticipated that she would take care of them after abandoning them for the night but I've been disappointed. Should I allow them to free range by themselves? They keep trying to follow her but she isn't thinking about them anymore.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I have two hens who have done the same thing...'weaned' their chicks before I thought they were old enough. I let the moms and their chicks into the general population when the hen takes them off the nest when they are only a couple of days old. Both have abandoned their babies pretty young. The first bunch took it harder then the second bunch did. They started out by not being in with them in the kennel in the coop at night. They'd roost with the others but on a lower roost spot...halfway between the floor and the high roost. Then in the daytime when they are let out to range she doesn't stay near them or protect them any more. If they try to stay near her, she will peck them and run away.

They are small enough to go through the 2x4 welded wire fencing that segregates some of my pairs, and roosters off by themselves. Only one hen is mean to them. She is mean to everyone. The free ranging chickens and roosters may chase them a few feet, but she will grab one and hang on.

I have a little guy from the first batch (they are all OE) who is growing into a fine little fellow and his being old enough next Spring when I might need the services of an OE rooster motivates me to take the two mature OE roosters I have and pair them up with a female and take them to the chicken auction on Tuesday. That mean chicken will be one of the ladies who will join the roosters to be sold.

Between the incubator and a sitting hen I've got 42 more OE to hatch and if only half of them make it I'll still have way too many chickens. I need to figure out the sex of some I have already. Oddly that little roo was very young when he developed huge red wattles and comb but I have eight chicks who could go either way.