Can a free range hen raise chicks and protect them?

[peepblessed]

Seems impossible but I have seen free range hen with chicks. How could they possibly survive?

 

[Love2Homeschool]

Absolutely they can! Mama hens are quite protective of their babies. I've seen it all my life. I'll never forget how my "city-boy" cousin looked when he decided he'd grab himself a chick from the mama hen. She set into him really quick and he never tried that again!

 

[ramirezframing]

my sisters dog got kicked outta his house because of a mama hen and babies, lol it was funny. he didn't get it back til she said so!

 

[Love2Homeschool]

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[Amyh]

My mama hen is scary!! She will defend those babies against the dogs, the kids or me! No one is allowed near them and you should see her wrath against the other full grown chickens!

 

[Love2Homeschool]

Quote:
Yep! Those mama hens are mama bears!!

 

[Chiefs Mess]

YES!!

My SIL (who lives next door to us) rented her house out 2 years before we built next to her. Well, the renters had broken down cars in her yard and the chickens they owned used them as their "coops". The renters moved out one night and SIL moved back to her house. She just let the hens stick around. By that time we were on our land some of the "ferral" chickens got killed. Except for one. She hanged around my chickens but never went in the coop, never laid eggs in the coop, ate the food and drank the water like she was here for good. I noticed she was gone and figured something got her during the night. We came home one day and she was all fluffed up in the driveway. Thought she was hurt, nope. She had about 10 chicks under her! I scooped them up and she did stay with them in the coop. But soon as they grew older she went to her old ways. We found cluthes under our grill (we cover it up) Gosh all over. But if the chicks hatched she stayed with them till they were old enough to be on their own.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I agree, mama hens aren't to be messed with, and they will teach their chicks how to survive pdq, hunting hiding, etc. My hen first trip out with babies methodically kicked all the other chickens tails, now all she has to do is walk up and everyone backs off, We don't have to worry that one of the old birds will grab a chick and kill it.

 

[peepblessed]

Thanks for all the great feedback guys! I'm amazed!!

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Yes, but...I don't think even my fierce broody mama hen would be able to defend herself and the babies from a hawk attack. She would probably have sacrificed herself, but then what? There are limits...