INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[kabhyper1]

You are exactly right. They were moving like a little mob. When one got distracted and ended up by herself, she would quickly stick her neck up and run full-speed over to the location of the other 2. The babies did take a few pecks from the other pullets, but I saw no serious aggression toward the babies at all.
I haven't taken pictures of the chicks outside with Mom yet. I should have, but I didn't want to miss something cute by leaving the chicken run to get the camera. I'll take some tonight, because I don't want to forget how cute they are at this stage!

So, my littles are still in the tractor in the barn with momma. The other chickens come in to see them and don't act super interested, but I am afraid to let them out with the flock. When lavender was sitting on her eggs, she went out to dust bathe and the other chickens went after her. I want to put them back with the flock, but I am afriad for the little ones. Any advice on how you did it?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I just opened the door. Then watched.

When the others approached it was like watching a rooster fight for the first couple times. Mamma just kicked butt if they got anywhere near her babies.

Once she established she was in charge the novelty wore off and everyone learned how to steer clear enough to make her happy. I just had to let them go at it.

I would have intervened only if she didn't fight for them. If she didn't establish her dominance in the situation that wouldn't be good. It was hard to watch but necessary for them to know she meant business.

The first few times I let them together, I was there to watch. After I was sure she had things under control and everyone understood their place I was able to leave the door open for them. I watched for about the first 3 days.

This mamma isn't dominant normally, but when she has kids - look out!

 

[kabhyper1]

I just opened the door. Then watched.

When the others approached it was like watching a rooster fight for the first couple times. Mamma just kicked butt if they got anywhere near her babies.

Once she established she was in charge the novelty wore off and everyone learned how to steer clear enough to make her happy. I just had to let them go at it.

I would have intervened only if she didn't fight for them. If she didn't establish her dominance in the situation that wouldn't be good. It was hard to watch but necessary for them to know she meant business.

The first few times I let them together, I was there to watch. After I was sure she had things under control and everyone understood their place I was able to leave the door open for them. I watched for about the first 3 days.

This mamma isn't dominant normally, but when she has kids - look out!

Hmm, when the hens walk up to the tractor, she doesn't seem defensive at all. When they went after her during her dust bath that day they were grabbing her by the head and she flew into the alpaca trough trying to get away. Maybe being a mother will change that. My coop is too small for a playpen, so they would have to go back into the tractor when Im not out with them. Ill have to give it a try I guess.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Most mammas personalities totally change when they have kiddos. I was totally taken aback when she had her first brood and came out swinging!

Then after the kids were "weaned", she went back to her regular personality.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Most mammas personalities totally change when they have kiddos. I was totally taken aback when she had her first brood and came out swinging!

Then after the kids were "weaned", she went back to her regular personality.

the same is true for many human moms

 

[kabhyper1]

Most mammas personalities totally change when they have kiddos. I was totally taken aback when she had her first brood and came out swinging!

Then after the kids were "weaned", she went back to her regular personality.

Are your hens aggressive with you? Lavender doesn't have a bit of aggression with me. I pick her and the kids up with no resistance, so Im hoping she will defend them with the flock.

 

[PimentoPlymouth]

I had a RIR go broody and I could handle her and the chicks no problem but if another hen invaded her space she would let then know she wasn't found of that.

 

[toodlesmom]

amwchickin~ Let us know how things are going. About the “Chicken Health for Dummies” book, I bought it from this site since the author is the BYC owner. Many chicken books touch on a variety of subjects, but it is nice to have a resource that is just about chicken health, whether it’s this book or a different one.

jchny~ How are Mr. & Ms. Bourbon Red Turkey doing? Is the shy girl opening up?

racinchickin~ That is incredible that your hen recovered! And she has a magnificent name. Btw, I've referred to my coop as "The Big Girl Coop" to my Orps, but unfortunately for them, The Big Girl Coop contains Five Mean Hens!

Mother2Hens - I think you should consider writing and illustrating a book for children called "The Orps and the Five Mean Hens".

 

[kabhyper1]

So I decided to try to introduce the little family to the rest of the flock. My plan is to keep momma and the baies in the tractor next to the coop during the day, and in an dog kennel in the coop at night, until everyone is settled with each other. So I put the tractor outside, scooped up momma and the three littles, and out to the coop we went. The rest of the flock came running up to see what the new commotion was. No issues at all, just a lot of curiosity. So after about 10 minutes of that, I opened the lid and let Lavender out next to the tractor by herself to see how the flock would do. No one really even noticed her. So I let the babies out with her. OMG. The flock didn't seem to care about the kids, but Lavender got super ditzy and distracted by being out of the tractor for the first time in a month. Pecking away as the babies followed her around. One of my wyandotte hens pecked the babies lightly, and I expected a reaction from Lavender. Nothing. She just went about her business. Then she jumped up into the coop, oblivious that they couldnt follow her. So I put them up in there with her, and the Wyandotte hen jumped into the coop too. Next thing I know Lavender is flying out of the coop, babies inside with Jules still, and she hides under the coop. I dove in and grabbed the babies, got her dingy butt out from under the coop, and this is how they are now....
She has been such a wonderful mother. I don't know what to do about this submission and lack of protection for her chicks. Or maybe its just the excitement of being back with the flock. Help!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Thanks for the congrats about dear Margie! She's such a sweetie.

congrats! I think you should breed her, I have a perfect male for her lol

Haha, thanks for the offer, but my girls are living the bachelorette life for now.

pipd-your Wynne's feathers look like a silkied ameraucanas feathers

It's just her down showing through her molting feathers. She has normal feathers any other time:

On a side note, though, I do love those silkied Ameraucanas! Might have to make room for them later on!

I also thought it was certain breeds that can be feather sexed and not all. Either way, if it works for your birds that would be awesome! I have the hardest time sexing wyandottes. Straight combs are much easier to tell sex at a younger age for me.

Feather-sexing only works on birds that are bred for it. It is a sexlinked trait obtained by crossing a fast-feathering male over slow-feathering females. The result is fast-feathering females and slow-feathering males. As day olds, then, you can tell by looking at the pins on their wings. FF females have alternating long and short pins, while SF males have all short pins. I know what you're saying about Wyandottes, although I have seen enough of them now that I have little difficulty telling them apart. Like CCCCHICKENS said, look for the black ring around the neck on the males. You can also usually see a more patchy feather coloring in the shoulders on the male.

Pimento- I have used both. I get a lot of waste from pellets so I've gone to strictly crumbles. Also I like the Dumor better. No real reason, I think it smells better!! I have LF and Bantams and got tired of using different for each.

I use crumbles, too. My hens absolutely wouldn't eat pellets. I'm not sure why. Anyway, Dumor is Purina feed, but packaged specifically for TSC. There's also a lot of speculation that they leave an ingredient out of Dumor that's in Purina, because a lot of people say their droppings smell horrible on Dumor, but not as bad on Purina. I don't know if that's true or not because it's been ages since I last fed Dumor to my girls.

PS: Whattheheck happened to Indiana? Everyone must be busy. Usually I have trouble keeping up

!

I wondered the same thing. Was there a show or something that I missed? EDIT: It quoted the wrong post here. Anyway, I refer to my coop as the Big-Girl coop, too! Especially when I have pullets about to move out into the coop.