Hen won't ween her chicks off?

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

So shockingly my Rhode Island red mother hen went broody over some of my smallest bantams eggs, what is the smallest I mean she's tiny which made her eggs even smaller. Anywho so I felt bad so I took a couple of the mother hens eggs out of the fridge and put it under her, out of six eggs that were under her, 4 hatched but we lost one. There all about 12 weeks old but the mother hen still hasn't tried weaning them off all at all! I had no problems until the other day when one of my roosters tried mounting one of her chicks, and they're pretty big chicks too, again 12 weeks, and the mother hen went absolutely ballistic! She won't let any of the other chickens near her and her chicks, I've tried separating her chicks from her but for a week straight she cried and cried for them and refuse to eat so I had to let them back with her.. what should I do??

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

So shockingly my Rhode Island red mother hen went broody over some of my smallest bantams eggs, what is the smallest I mean she's tiny which made her eggs even smaller. Anywho so I felt bad so I took a couple of the mother hens eggs out of the fridge and put it under her, out of six eggs that were under her, 4 hatched but we lost one. There all about 12 weeks old but the mother hen still hasn't tried weaning them off all at all! I had no problems until the other day when one of my roosters tried mounting one of her chicks, and they're pretty big chicks too, again 12 weeks, and the mother hen went absolutely ballistic! She won't let any of the other chickens near her and her chicks, I've tried separating her chicks from her but for a week straight she cried and cried for them and refuse to eat so I had to let them back with her.. what should I do??

I have some that I think are over 20 weeks and their mom still hangs out with them, but she's not a necessity

 

[Perris]

they will go their own way when they are ready; I too have one still looking after them (most of the time) from a late June hatch.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

To be fair, 12 weeks is only 3 months and that's a bit young to be bred by a grown male.

I have some that stick with mom until they're laying themselves and some that are weaned at 3 or 4 weeks. It's all based on hormones

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

So Just wait and see what happens?

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

So Just wait and see what happens?

I would.

 

[aart]

one of my roosters tried mounting one of her chicks,

Not a male I would keep.

 

[FeatherTay]

Not a male I would keep.

x2. That’s what I was thinking.
More than likely that chick didn’t want him too, but he still tried anyways. You don’t really want that in a rooster.

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

Not a male I would keep.

He's only about a month and a half older than them and I'm still going to wait and see how he turns out for the next 3 months and hope he gets a little smarter, if he doesn't I've got a friend who's will take him

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

Up date, still with her baby's, two of em are roosters and already crowing, the other is a pullet, almost the same size as her mum