Concern for broody

[Futuregreenefarm]

Thank you both for your advice. I appreciate your time very much!
@oldhenlikesdogs @aart

 

[Futuregreenefarm]

UPDATE:
I know this is an old thread but the chicks hatched out yesterday. How many days before she comes off the nest? I didn't expect them until Friday and I thought I had the weekend to figure out how to confine them a little bit. I wish to intergrate her (hopefully) and the chicks in with my flock eventually. I know she'll be very protective so I plan to keep mine up for a little while and try to work with her again as she did let me feed her and the first batch of chicks before. When do you think I could try letting mine out as they may possibly roam to where the chicks are? And can I use this as a way to intergrate them together when the chicks are older? I may try a netting to keep them separated right away. Would it be better to let mine out and let them start seeing each other as soon as possible? Or am I rushing this all too quickly?

 

[aart]

I know this is an old thread but the chicks hatched out yesterday.

Always best to update thread(this one is not that old) than start new one,
that way we know the backstory.

If you want to integrate this bird and her chicks into your flock....
Do you have a place to keep them confined and safe?
A section of your coop would be best.
I'd move them there tonight, well after dark, grab her first-then the chicks.
Then give it week or so to decide how to handle the next step.

 

[Futuregreenefarm]

The mother hen is completely wild. She is already upset with me because I keep checking on her and chicks, even from a distance. Before, when I was able to feed her and the chicks, she always keep herself between me and them which is understandable. And wouldn't let me close to them until she left them. Do they really fall asleep so soundly that you can handle them like that??

 

[aart]

Do they really fall asleep so soundly that you can handle them like that??

Well, it's hard to say for sure how she'll react.
Keeping the light very low will help.
Being calm but swift and sure is a must, chances are if you don't get hold of her right away she be gone and may not come back to nest in the dark.
Might want to have a net or something to toss over her so she doesn't bolt.
...and have a brooder with heat ready for the chicks if she gets away.

 

[iss1arg]

I don't have any suggestions for the question here, but have a question concerning the broody. I cannot tell if she is eating or not because I am gone most of the day. Her comb is droopy and she has at least 10 more days remaining before the chicks hatch. Is there anything I should do? She is only about 6 months old. I am surprised, she went broody so early. Any advice for a concerned chicken lady.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't have any suggestions for the question here, but have a question concerning the broody. I cannot tell if she is eating or not because I am gone most of the day. Her comb is droopy and she has at least 10 more days remaining before the chicks hatch. Is there anything I should do? She is only about 6 months old. I am surprised, she went broody so early. Any advice for a concerned chicken lady.

A broody hen only gets off the nest once a day generally. You won't usually see it. Combs do shrink back when they are broody. If you are concerned you can get a feel of her to see if she's lost too much Wright, and check for external parasites which can sometimes get out of control on a broody.

 

[aart]

I don't have any suggestions for the question here, but have a question concerning the broody. I cannot tell if she is eating or not because I am gone most of the day. Her comb is droopy and she has at least 10 more days remaining before the chicks hatch. Is there anything I should do? She is only about 6 months old. I am surprised, she went broody so early. Any advice for a concerned chicken lady.

This is why I like to sequester birds from the rest of the flock with a wire wall,
enough space for nest, feed, water, and some walking around room,
then you can see if feed has been touched and the disgustingly large poops they leave.

 

[Futuregreenefarm]

Being brought here again, I have an update on my mother hen and chicks. Knowingly or not, she took it upon herself to integrate her and her chicks into my flock. These past few days have been so stressful I have almost decided I shouldn't be a chicken owner. When she came off the nest with them Friday (2 days old), she went straight to the other side of the yard where mine are and continued there all day around my netted run. I thought "what?". Saturday, I went to TSC to get supplies and to try to figure out what to do with mother and chicks as my A frame coop isn't complete and when I returned home, my teenage chickens were in my yard and the hen and baby chicks were in my run area. I was completely surprised. It was as if they were switched. But I found the hole on the backside where mine got out and she probably came in. I let one whole side of netting down so she could mosey out but she never did. AND when evening came, she tried to get her chicks into the coop where mine sleep. I mean that is where she raised my teenage chickens and she must've remembered that. They couldn't go up, too small, but she is still trying and I have been balancing her in the little run area of the coop and my 5 chickens wanting to go to bed in the coop like always for 4 days now. I'm so soft, I won't run the hen off. During the daytime, I just keep her and chicks locked in the smaller run until I let mine out to free range and then let her out to range with the gate always open. I really thought she would leave but she has not. So I try to balance them and protect everybody. I gave her a blue storage container to sleep in but she hasn't used it yet and somehow my chickens just go in each night to the coop and fuss at her sitting on the bottom. She just sits tight and refuses to leave. I really am wondering if I should be a chicken owner

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Being brought here again, I have an update on my mother hen and chicks. Knowingly or not, she took it upon herself to integrate her and her chicks into my flock. These past few days have been so stressful I have almost decided I shouldn't be a chicken owner. When she came off the nest with them Friday (2 days old), she went straight to the other side of the yard where mine are and continued there all day around my netted run. I thought "what?". Saturday, I went to TSC to get supplies and to try to figure out what to do with mother and chicks as my A frame coop isn't complete and when I returned home, my teenage chickens were in my yard and the hen and baby chicks were in my run area. I was completely surprised. It was as if they were switched. But I found the hole on the backside where mine got out and she probably came in. I let one whole side of netting down so she could mosey out but she never did. AND when evening came, she tried to get her chicks into the coop where mine sleep. I mean that is where she raised my teenage chickens and she must've remembered that. They couldn't go up, too small, but she is still trying and I have been balancing her in the little run area of the coop and my 5 chickens wanting to go to bed in the coop like always for 4 days now. I'm so soft, I won't run the hen off. During the daytime, I just keep her and chicks locked in the smaller run until I let mine out to free range and then let her out to range within the netted run with the chicks. I really thought she would leave but she has not. So I try to balance them and protect everybody. I gave her a blue storage container to sleep in but she hasn't used it yet and somehow my chickens just go in each night to the coop and fuss at her sitting on the bottom. She just sits tight and refuses to leave. I really am wondering if I should be a chicken owner

Having a hen hatch chicks bid always stressful for me too. Sometimes I can control stuff, sometimes I can't. Do the best you can. Things should settle down in a week or two.