does a hen change when she becomes a mother?

[missychicky]

I have heard that after a hen becomes a mother they turn mean and won't let you near the chicks. I'm not sure if this is true...

I love all my chickens and I currently have a broody setting and she is a real sweety. Once the eggs hatch will she not love me anymore? All my chickens are tottaly tame and I care for them deeply. I don't want my broody to turn on me!

 

[canada-goose]

If she isn't acting too nasty right now, she probably won't become too nasty. They don't tend to suddenly change after the chicks hatch.

 

[lauralou]

They are all different, just like people.

Here are some examples. (I have a lot of broody hens!)

Blondie is normally a very cuddly hen. She isn't peckish at all when she's sitting on eggs. I always know when the eggs have started to hatch, because she bites me when I put my hand in the nest. Not hard, just letting me know. She still runs to collect treats when she has babies, but she won't allow them to be touched. She's mildly scary at that point! (She goes right back to normal when she weans the babies.)

Tough Cookie is normally an evil, dominant old biddy. When she has babies, she is the biggest begger ever! She teaches her babies to come to people for treats, and doesn't seem too concerned if I grab one to hold.

Sugar is normally a sweet but standoffish hen. When she has babies, she continues to be sweet but standoffish. Not much of a change.

See what I mean? They're all different.

 

[justmeandtheflock]

My mama hen doesn't seem to have changed much. She lets me hold the babies and tells them to eat out of my hands. She put on a big show for the other birds when I moved them into neighboring pens and she attacked a duck for getting too close to the babies but other than that she hasn't changed.

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

My hen has week old chicks, and she's fine with me. She's not taking time to sit on my lap right now, but is still taking treats from me, and lets me handle the babies. half of the other hens she fights off, and the other half she allows near the babies too. She's not too keen on the dog getting near them however.

I think the other girls were jealous, as I now have 3 new broodies since her eggs hatched. JUST what I needed... Of course, I gave them all eggs...

 

[KingSpeck]

My broody Opal was great while she was sitting on eggs but once her babies started getting more active she was a terror. I had to put on long pants and boots just to open her coop door in the morning or to give them fresh food and water. It was a full attack on my ankles and feet every time. Now that the babies are about 5 weeks old she's calmed back down and just seems to want lots of treats. She deserves them - she's a good momma.

 

[pennie1]

The 2 hens that I have are awesome moms. They tend there little flock of 10 together and won't let anyone near them. I have to have very thick gloves when I try to feed them in the hutch. If they are outside, when I walk into the pen I had better keep my distance or 1 of them is going to get me for sure. Once the babes are weaned they go right back to normal.