Hens Raising Chicks - Observations?

[CoopBoots]

This is my first time having a broody hen in my flock, and it was completely fascinating watching her navigate the entire process of parenthood. I say this with a touch of emotion, as she left her babies to return to the main coop tonight. While I trust her that they are ready, it's just amazing how quickly everything went by. I'm in awe. So I wanted to share her behaviors and their timeline, then maybe hear from you all how similarly or differently your broody girls behaved?

• Broody for first time at around 7 months of age -- December 2022
• Failed hatch, broke and returned to flock lower in the pecking order from top or second in command spot
• Broody again (defined as spending a complete night on fake eggs) -- March 9th 2023
• Gave her real eggs to incubate -- March 11th
• Successful hatch -- March 31st
• Remained aggressive/fluffed in demeanor to all flockmates throughout this period, no observed "discipline" of chicks, just aggressive defense and food/shelter/bathing education. She notably resumed a second in command position and chose violence with every hen ASIDE from number one, regardless of whether she was challenged by them or not
• Resumed mating behaviors willingly and ceased defensive behavior -- April 29th
• Resumed laying -- April 30th, the very next day!
• Resumed roosting in adult coop without her brood and continues her second in command position -- May 3rd

I'm so impressed with her performance. Her chicks are thriving and happily integrated, aside from roosting and early food privileges, even with my grumpus old rooster. She kept them clear of him for the most part without ever showing him any aggression, and now he's protective of them (although he only pays any attention when they cry out due to handling, etc.) I've seen maybe seven dominance/warning pecks administered by the flock but none by her, which amazed me. The first broody I ever watched was CONSTANTLY enforcing subordinate behavior in her chicks (at least that is how it appeared -- she'd peck them on the head for standing too tall in her presence, getting up in her business, etc. and I'd just assumed that was standard behavior).

I think the thing that surprised me the most was her quick transition from angry, avoidant fluffball to willingly seducing my rooster the next day, LOL. I mean it was so sudden. She must have known she was about to resume laying. It was like clockwork.

I wonder if this well oiled reproduction machine plans to have another go this season. Part of me really hopes not, as two separate broody periods plus one grueling 4.5 week parenting extravaganza seems like a lot already. She isn't even a year old!! But obviously nature and her traits will dictate that regardless of whether it seems healthful to me.

Either way, I'm so curious to hear about your broodies. Do they parent for a full four weeks? Is that long/short? Do they often successfully hatch more than one clutch a year? Do you find that once they've experienced parenthood they take a break for an extended period? Really anything you've observed, I'd love to hear if you have time to share.

More photo tax:

Exploring:

Dustbathing:

Lookout duty while providing warming services:

Her telling Rusty she'd missed him soooo much Yes, he got lucky...

 

[nuthatched]

Your rooster is massive! What is he?

 

[Perris]

View attachment 3492260

This is my first time having a broody hen in my flock, and it was completely fascinating watching her navigate the entire process of parenthood. I say this with a touch of emotion, as she left her babies to return to the main coop tonight. While I trust her that they are ready, it's just amazing how quickly everything went by. I'm in awe. So I wanted to share her behaviors and their timeline, then maybe hear from you all how similarly or differently your broody girls behaved?

• Broody for first time at around 7 months of age -- December 2022
• Failed hatch, broke and returned to flock lower in the pecking order from top or second in command spot
• Broody again (defined as spending a complete night on fake eggs) -- March 9th 2023
• Gave her real eggs to incubate -- March 11th
• Successful hatch -- March 31st
• Remained aggressive/fluffed in demeanor to all flockmates throughout this period, no observed "discipline" of chicks, just aggressive defense and food/shelter/bathing education. She notably resumed a second in command position and chose violence with every hen ASIDE from number one, regardless of whether she was challenged by them or not
• Resumed mating behaviors willingly and ceased defensive behavior -- April 29th
• Resumed laying -- April 30th, the very next day!
• Resumed roosting in adult coop without her brood and continues her second in command position -- May 3rd

I'm so impressed with her performance. Her chicks are thriving and happily integrated, aside from roosting and early food privileges, even with my grumpus old rooster. She kept them clear of him for the most part without ever showing him any aggression, and now he's protective of them (although he only pays any attention when they cry out due to handling, etc.) I've seen maybe seven dominance/warning pecks administered by the flock but none by her, which amazed me. The first broody I ever watched was CONSTANTLY enforcing subordinate behavior in her chicks (at least that is how it appeared -- she'd peck them on the head for standing too tall in her presence, getting up in her business, etc. and I'd just assumed that was standard behavior).

I think the thing that surprised me the most was her quick transition from angry, avoidant fluffball to willingly seducing my rooster the next day, LOL. I mean it was so sudden. She must have known she was about to resume laying. It was like clockwork.

I wonder if this well oiled reproduction machine plans to have another go this season. Part of me really hopes not, as two separate broody periods plus one grueling 4.5 week parenting extravaganza seems like a lot already. She isn't even a year old!! But obviously nature and her traits will dictate that regardless of whether it seems healthful to me.

Either way, I'm so curious to hear about your broodies. Do they parent for a full four weeks? Is that long/short? Do they often successfully hatch more than one clutch a year? Do you find that once they've experienced parenthood they take a break for an extended period? Really anything you've observed, I'd love to hear if you have time to share.

More photo tax:
View attachment 3492261
Exploring:
View attachment 3492262
Dustbathing:
View attachment 3492263
Lookout duty while providing warming services:
View attachment 3492264
Her telling Rusty she'd missed him soooo much Yes, he got lucky...
View attachment 3492265

You made and passed on lots of great, careful observations here, most of which are similar to my experience with broodies and roos. Great photos too!

All of mine have done it somewhat differently from each other, and individually they've done it slightly differently each time as they get more experienced. The only significant difference here is that broodies stay with their chicks longer - for 2+ months, perhaps because they're not confined, so need help for longer foraging and evading predators. And only one of my broodies drives her chicks away when she's had enough; the rest have just drifted apart over weeks, usually with a subordinate roo stepping in to keep an eye out for the youngsters, who hang out together apart from the main flock, until they're each ready to take a place with the grown ups.

 

[CoopBoots]

Your rooster is massive! What is he?

Board consensus is he looks like a lemon cuckoo colored Niederrheiner. I adopted him as an adult, so his definite parentage remains a mystery.

 

[ElizabethAdams]

I love the dated observations. We just got into chicken keeping last year and had our first broody back in February. I’ll ask my daughter to keep a diary now that the same hen is broody again.

 

[Isadora]

Wow, what a great mom!
I've had 3 different broodies raise chicks and each one was a little bit different. They didn't have a set time they raised or stayed with the chicks for. A couple of them were more motherly and kept covering the chicks at night when it was chilly even though they were fully feathered. The last broody I had stopped taking care of them after about 2 weeks.
I've had only one bird attempt to brood twice in a year. Funnily enough, she was a red sex link. I broke her the 1st time she tried because it just wasn't a good time but let her set and hatch the next.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have found that if I place a flat board across the roosts prior to the chicks being 3 weeks old, she will get them up on the roost and often she and the rooster will let the chicks 'roost' between them. My roost is about 4 feet off the floor.

Mrs K

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Mine vary all over the board. If a bird goes broody and aren't in danger, I'll let them set for the most part (1 doesn't get parental rights arbiter they hatch, 1 likely will follow that route, and 1 isn't allowed to set because she killed them as they hatch). Some have heavy losses, especially their first year, some do great as long as their chicks are healthy.

I used to have a cranky old Japanese hen that hated every living thing apart from babies. She didn't even need to be broody, if you gave her chicks, she'd take them in. Her last batch was 6 week olds and about 16 month olds, and she loved every single one, though was good in knowing the 6 needed more attention than the 16 did