Seven weeks is about normal. That’s about the length of time that my girls take care of their chicks.This is my first time adding chicks to an existing flock and first time with a broody hen. I only started raising chickens 2 years ago.
Well, my Black Australorp was an excellent broody and mom for 7 weeks to 8 lovely little chicks, protecting her babies from the older hens and sometimes even me until this weekend when she abandoned them. Overnight, she changed. She originally integrated the chicks to my existing flock of 3 about 4 weeks ago so they are all in the main coop and run. She taught them to roost right next to her at night, and even let them roost underneath her.
As of this weekend, she has no patience for her babies or being confined so I let her out to range in my yard most of the day along with the other adult hens. But when she’s in the run, she chases them away which I expected but at bedtime, she’s especially mean. She was always top hen so she’s clinging to her status fiercely. She basically gets half of the coop and the other 10 chicks/chickens have to sleep in the other half. My older Buff Orpington who’s at the bottom of the pecking order sleeps in the nesting box and wants no part of the drama. She’s so sweet to the babies and hangs out with them during the day rather than the older hens. She also has stopped laying eggs I think due to the stress. Some of my chicks sleep on the roost and the rest sleep on the floor because mom will not let them on the bar she’s on and even the one in front of her. She gets the whole bar to herself unless she lets the Easter Egger on after much pecking. My Easter Egger will not let the chicks on the roost she’s on without pecking at them incessantly as well. Some of the chicks just give up at some point because they’re kicked off all 3 roosts. Sometimes they snuggle under mom’s wing on the roost in hopes that she’ll snuggle them back only to have her peck at them hard to get away. It breaks my heart.
Is this normal behavior for a mom who just weaned her chicks? Should I bother separating or let them sort it out? How much longer can I expect this to go on? They’re about half the size of the other hens and 1/3 the size of mom...she’s a big girl. I heard integrating early would be more successful rather than later. They have been a handful but I’m surprised by her sudden lack of care.
