I need ADVICE!!!

[SNUGGLEBB]

I have had 2 hens go broody. When the first one hatched out she had 4 babies. I put her in a new coop in a lil house for her and the chicks. Then the next one hatched out. She had one. The rest did not hatch. I moved the first mom and put the new mom in the old mom's house. I made a new house for the first mom and they were seperated by chicken wire. MUCH TO MY HORROR, I checked on them today and the mother flew over the chicken wire with 2 chicks and went into the old house with the new mom and new chick and left her two others shivering in the corner of the new place. I couldn't believe she abandoned those two so I took them all away from her and put her back in with the hens in the hen house and put the four babies in my brooder box with 25 one week old chicks that I ordered. They love the chicks and care for them like a big sister or something but I'm concerned about the mother. Should I have done this? I was concerned cuz she abandoned two of them. What if she abandoned the other two as well? Did I do the right thing? This is my first experience with all of this. We just got chickens last year so ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I don't believe she was abandoning them. I think she was confused over her new digs. Everyone should be fine though.

 

[dickiebird]

From my experience, you did the right thing. We have had very few broodie hens that have ever stayed with their chicks for very long. Usually it happens just as you said, keeping 1 or 2 with her and wandering off leaving the others to fend for themselves. About the only time they take a complete interest in the chicks is when they are hatching their own eggs, otherwise they'll do just as your's did.



People say I'm getting crankier as I get older. That's not it. I just find I enjoy annoying people a lot more now. Especially younger people!!!