Hen won't take chicks into coop

[dunnmom]

Hello! I noticed a curious thing with one of my hens. She hatched chicks and they are nearly 2 weeks old. I let her take her chicks into the run with the other hens 4 days ago.

Since then, she's been sleeping with her babies under the coop, instead of taking them in. It even rained last night and she didn't take them in.

Has anyone else had this happen with a mama hen and chicks, or is it something I need to be concerned about? I just wonder what she might be waiting for.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What does your coop look like? A hen will always want to take her chicks where she feels it's safe. How roomy is your coop? How many other hens? How easy is it to get back in the coop?

Since she can get under it, odds are her chicks can't or won't go back in due to the height off the ground.

 

[Robert G]

The only thing I ever noticed was if the baby chicks cannot follow mom into a coop and stay behind, the hen will sleep where the chicks stayed behind. Hope that makes sense.

 

[dunnmom]

They have a ramp, I've seen the babies get on it and go to the top, but mama calls them back. The coop is big enough for them, but the roosts are too high for the chicks. That shouldn't be an issue yet, as they still sleep under her wings.

She's been very defensive of her chicks, so I suppose maybe she's unsure of the situation. I haven't seen much aggression toward her or the chicks, except the very first day she had them out. She got into a couple of tussles with her sisters who tried to get too close. I saw her discipline 2 of her chicks by giving them both a firm peck on the head, probably for straying too far from her.

I left the corner where she brooded the eggs free of obstructions and half expected her to take them there to sleep or one of the nest boxes. Maybe she doesn't think the corner is suitable anymore for some reason.

It also occurred to me she might be upset because I rehomed 7 out of 11 of her chicks. I did it for the good of everyone involved, but I suppose she may not be over it and it's making her extra paranoid.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It does sound like it's her choice to sleep there. Not much you can but block her from going under there. If it's safe, I would probably leave her be.

 

[dunnmom]

Lol! Well, nevermind. She just took them in and settled in a nest box. That's a good sign. My other girls don't go to bed until dark, so she went in early.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Lol! Well, nevermind. She just took them in and settled in a nest box. That's a good sign. My other girls don't go to bed until dark, so she went in early.

They sure like to keep you on your toes.

 

[Robert G]

I think hens with chicks like to stress us out! They do the weirdest things then act normal again.

 

[dunnmom]

This was both of our first time to hatch. I only had a vague idea of what to expect, and it didn't go anything like I thought it would. More for the better than the worse.

If I had to do it over, I'd have given her less eggs to begin with, because 1 chick died under her, and she rejected 2 late hatching chicks that needed a little help out of their shells. A good learning experience, though.

 

[aart]

The only thing I ever noticed was if the baby chicks cannot follow mom into a coop and stay behind, the hen will sleep where the chicks stayed behind. Hope that makes sense.

I had just the opposite happen.
Mama was inside coop in her portable floor nest with half the chicks and the other chicks were screaming out in the run. Finally had to take the floor nest, covered to contain mama and chicks, out into the run until all the chicks were in nest with mama, then cover again and carry back inside coop. SMH! She didn't take them back outside for another 2-3 days, that time she got them all back inside.