Broody momma calling it quits

[Deltabwa]

I have 2 broodys, 1 with 2 chicks and 1 with 4. They are 4 1/2 weeks old. They each had their own coop, inside the run with the big coop. 2 days ago I finally put them all out with the rest of the flock. They were accepted and left alone. That night momma w/4 slept in her normal coop. Yesterday I noticed she basically left the babies alone almost all day. They only ventured out of the big run once and then stayed in the the rest of the day. Last night momma jump right into the main coop and left the babies to fend for themselves. I grabbed her and put her back in with the babies but I don't think that will last.

These babies don't seem as "feathered and big" as chicks I've raised without momma. It's a mix group, 1 was a hatch day special, so not sure what it is, but it's normal size. Even at 4 weeks tho, it seems so much smaller than the rest. The other 3 are a Sultan, Silkie bantam and a fun and funky egg we hatched, so not real sure what it is, but it's (size wise) between the hatch day special and bantam.

The question is, these guys aren't ready to be left alone in their little coop are they? What should I do with them as momma has quit them?

 

[GuppyTJ]

Delta,

In my opinion, you don't do either. Let the babies and the mom figure it out themselves. All that you see going on on the roost, as hard as it is to watch, is perfectly normal. As long as there is no blood and no one getting truly hurt, all is well.

The only time I would intervene is if you have to get the babies into the safe place (inside a secured coop or brooding pen somewhere). In other words, if they end up trying to sleep somewhere at night where they are not safe and predators can get them, then move them. If you need to move them, DEFINITELY wait until they have settled down somewhere and when it's sufficiently dark, quietly pick them up one at a time and move them. In other words, avoid chasing them and trying to catch them. Just wait and do it when it's dark and they are settled down. Chasing chickens just upsets them and is rarely successful anyway. Lots of toll on the chickens for poor results anyway. Stressed chickens are more prone to illness for example.

I want to say it again that from what I understand of your situation, the mother's leaving them at this age is normal. And as you can see, it can happen all at once or the mother might leave them to themselves more gradually.

I have one chicken who has hatched maybe 7 broods for me over the years. Her name is Willow. She is a hatching machine, loves being a mom and she's super good at it. I trust her and we've been through this many times. But the point is... I've watched her and she has left her chicks anywhere from 4 to 7 weeks old. She has done it different ways. One time, she might leave them cold turkey. Another time, she might leave them slowly, letting them hang around her a bit during the day and then helping them get on the roost at night for several nights. The point is, she knows what she's doing. How she does it might be dependent on the weather, the season, how feathered out the chicks get, how badly she needs/wants to get back to laying, how badly she needs to get done with this batch of chicks so she can rest up before she decides to raise another batch.

In my experience, the mother hens, having had many of them, almost always know what they are doing. And they know better than I do. I will NEVER be able to raise chicks as well as a normal mother hen can do. So... IMHO, I sort of just pay attention to what the mom is doing and then try to help her do it the way she wants and the way she thinks is best. I will help her if she needs my help but in general, I try to stay out of her way and let her do her job.

I hope this helps,
Guppy

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Of course they are ready to not sleep with momma. As they should be integrated with the flock I'd close off the small coop making the chicks can stay with the flock, go into their coop, so you don't have integration issues in the future. That's the beauty of broodies, they integrate the chicks for you. Don't let that window of opportunity to go by.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

As long as it isn't getting cold at night where you are, I would wager that they are all set to sleep on their own. Sounds like the broody knows what she is doing. If you aren't having any integration issues, I would definitely take this opportunity and keep them in the big coop. (I am dealing with integration issues and it is absolutely awful.) Also, don't be surprised if once they get up on the roost they continue to try sleeping under mama... it is quite a funny sight! Good luck!

 

[GuppyTJ]

Yup, just to add to this.. Broody mom's leave their chicks at varying ages. I've had about 15 different mother hens and it just depends on the mom and the chicks. The average age is around 5 weeks tho so your chicks are right in that normal range when the mom left them.

The chicks sometimes fight to stay with the mom and she sort of runs them off a bit but they quickly learn to be on their own and they then band together as a little group of their own. Depending on what the mother taught them, they may have to learn to get up on the roost on their own or they may crowd together on the floor in a dark corner to sleep.

But the long and the short of it is it all works out. Just make sure they have access to a safe place to sleep (where predators cant get them) and if they try to sleep somewhere inappropriate, just move them to where you want them.

They will learn and over time, find their way to fitting into the flock.

Hope this helps,
Guppy

 

[Deltabwa]

Yup, just to add to this.. Broody mom's leave their chicks at varying ages. I've had about 15 different mother hens and it just depends on the mom and the chicks. The average age is around 5 weeks tho so your chicks are right in that normal range when the mom left them.

The chicks sometimes fight to stay with the mom and she sort of runs them off a bit but they quickly learn to be on their own and they then band together as a little group of their own. Depending on what the mother taught them, they may have to learn to get up on the roost on their own or they may crowd together on the floor in a dark corner to sleep.

But the long and the short of it is it all works out. Just make sure they have access to a safe place to sleep (where predators cant get them) and if they try to sleep somewhere inappropriate, just move them to where you want them.

They will learn and over time, find their way to fitting into the flock.

Hope this helps,
Guppy

ok thanks. I was going to wait until they went to bed tonight and put them in the big coop because they are real buggers to catch. Ok, correct that, dang near impossible to catch. there is an enclosed run and in that enclosed run is the big coop, where all the big chickens are, and 2 smaller coops, 1 store bought and 1 rabbit hutch, with their own runs, where they have been for the last 4 weeks. Each momma had her own coop and chicks. I noticed today that the other momma has also kind of left her chicks off and on but they all took a dust bath together lol

thanks for the info. I'll move those 4 tonight if momma goes up there. I did put a small self-standing roost in there for them.

 

[NHgirl]

What is a "hatch day special"?

 

[Deltabwa]

What is a "hatch day special"?

MPC has a hatch day special which would be anything, straight run, that they had "extra's" of that day. It's always a surprise and I haven't yet posted picks to see what it could be. I need to get some to do just that so I can stop calling it "hatch lol

 

[Deltabwa]

Of course they are ready to not sleep with momma. As they should be integrated with the flock I'd close off the small coop making the chicks can stay with the flock, go into their coop, so you don't have integration issues in the future. That's the beauty of broodies, they integrate the chicks for you. Don't let that window of opportunity to go by.

Momma didn't try to take them into the big coop with her, the chicks all ran into their "home" while she went into the big coop. So do I just pick them up and put them in their at night? Being little guys, and not feathered out, I'm not sure if they can get into the big coop alone. lol it's a big ladder

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It may take up to a week of putting them in there at night. They will see the older birds walk up and mimic, shouldn't take that long for them to get the hang of it. Big thing is to close the other coop door and not allow them access to it.