How long will a hen "mother" her brood?

[Naptownsurfgirl]

awwwwwwwwwwww....such a good mama! i want to try this come spring..our neighbor has a rooster, so maybe he will visit my girls in spring..

Mine is doing the same Thing and they are 9 weeks ok!!

 

[aart]

This pic was taken when they were 7 weeks, but is emblematic of how well she cares for them. If you look closely you can see all 10 babies

Awesome pic!
Does anyone else see a bunch of cockerels there?

 

[Redhead Rae]

Awesome pic!
Does anyone else see a bunch of cockerels there?

Yup, they are BSLs. So the 6 barred chicks are males. The four black ones are females.

 

[aart]

Yup, they are BSLs. So the 6 barred chicks are males. The four black ones are females.

Was just seeing all that RED at 7 weeks!
Better stock up on Noodles

 

[Redhead Rae]

Was just seeing all that RED at 7 weeks!
Better stock up on Noodles

I would, but they have wheat in them and I'm gluten intolerant. I've got a big order of rice coming from Azure though.

 

[aart]

I would, but they have wheat in them and I'm gluten intolerant. I've got a big order of rice coming from Azure though.

I just had a bowl of Rooster -n- Noodles......
.....and wished it was Rooster -n- Rice, stays on spoon better.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I just had a bowl of Rooster -n- Noodles......
.....and wished it was Rooster -n- Rice, stays on spoon better.

That reminds me, I need to take two roosters out to brine tonight.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Was just seeing all that RED at 7 weeks!
Better stock up on Noodles

I see coc co vin in your future. yumm

 

[azygous]

I love the pic of your BO and her brood!

If she's anything like my latest broody, a six-year old Speckled Sussex named Linda, she could dote on those little twerps for weeks to come.

Linda weaned her one surviving early summer chick at five weeks. Then 40 days later, she incubated and brooded two more chicks. She tried to wean them a few weeks ago at just around fifteen weeks. She was half-hearted in her attempts to force a separation. Actually, all she did was move out of the coop, effectively abandoning her nearly full-grown chicks.

I praised her and congratulated her at finally cutting the apron strings, and.....well, next night she moved back in. She's still with them, a pullet and cockerel, Trixie and Toots, respectively, at age 18 weeks. She still permits them to associate with her, they do everything together, all inseparable. How long this will last is anyone's guess. The only certain thing about broodies is they are unpredictable.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I actually need to move them into one of my coops and out of the broody box. They all have to cram into the broody box like sardines now. I think the chicks are now big enough that they don't need their own "protected feeding" in the mornings. Some of the Cockerels are now bigger than my leghorn cross hens.