Integrating a shy nervous broody and her 3 chicks: advice wanted

[CSAchook]

Most of the articles I have read about integrating a hen and her chicks emphasize the fierce and intimidating nature of a mother hen. But want do you do when your broody (while an excellent mother in every other way) runs in terror from other hens?


Background: I currently have 4 one year old hens (three LF Cochins and 1 speckled Sussex). My lowest ranked hen (a Cochin named Bubbles) went broody about 2 months ago). After waiting a little over a week to see if she was serious, I bought some cream legbar eggs for her to hatch. I let her keep 3 chicks (2 pullets and a cockerel). She incubated and is now raising her chicks in a small prefab coop next to my main run. She has always been able to see the other hens through the fence but no one can touch her or the chicks. So far she has been an amazing mom to her chicks, but the babies will be four weeks old soon and I feel like it is time to start working on integration.

The problem: Right around the time Bubbles went broody, I had to rehome 2 red sexlink hens. I think the remaining 3 hens have reestablished the pecking order without Bubbles. She was always lowest ranked but now they are treating her like an outsider (even though they regularly see her through the fence). She is also the flee don’t fight type. She will not defend herself. Bubbles and her babies have “met the flock” now a few times during supervised free range time. My three hen flock for the most part is concentrating their aggression on Bubbles not the chicks. But then when she runs away it leaves the chicks vulnerable.

So far there are no injuries so I have stayed out of things. But I would appreciate any advice on how to ease this transition. Should I keep limiting their interactions to free range time? I am only home to supervise for a few hours per day. Also, if anyone has any clever ideas on the best way to add hiding places to my run (without loosing to much floor space), I would really love to hear them!!!

Thank you in advance for any and all advice! Pictures of my setup coming in a few minutes.

 

[CSAchook]

Main coop is 6ft by 6 ft.
Main run is 8 ft by 8ft. A small (50inch by 24 inch) portion of the main run is sectioned off and attached to a small prefab unit (5ft by 2ft run; 2ft by 3ft coop). A latchable wooden gate connects the two areas.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That's a snug space to integrate into.....any chance of extending the run?

Think vertical walls with no dead ends. They don't need to be tall just 2' will help.
If you were to mount a 2'x4' piece of plywood to a base also of plywood you could have a short movable wall.

One thing to consider is what to do if things don't work. Can you add a run to the prefab? Make the prefab into a second coop?

Bubbles being a ..... well ...... a chicken makes things harder.

Adding roosts in the run also gives a place up high for them to get away but I fear Bubbles could desert the young in favor of using the roost for herself.

 

[Mrs. K]

You've kind of missed the window. Each of us do it differently, with what works. If one does not separate the broody from the bunch, when the chicks hatch, her hormones are quite high. The chicks are quite tiny, and in a very short time, the flock accepts them.

But by 4 weeks of age, the broody hen's hormones are faint at best. She has or will soon "forget" her chicks. They will just be birds. She will have no urge to protect them. The chicks are bigger, and the original flock of hens might seriously attack them. They can be relentless.

I often times set a pallet up on a single layer of cement blocks in each corner. Often times, I have a feed bowl there in addition to the main one. Chicks can scurry right under it, big chickens get slowed down.

My advice, is wait, until the new chicks are getting close to laying, and then combine your two flocks. Adding more birds close to the same size is best to an established flock, it spreads the pecking out. Adding a single bird to an established flock can be darn hard on that bird. Everyone knows they don't belong.

You could also try this, flip the two groups around. Put the original flock where the babies are, and vice versa... this allows the new birds to explore the area without being attacked. And the other birds get used to seeing these birds in their territory. Leave them for several days. Then add back the old, shutting up the little coop.

Good luck,
Mrs K

 

[CapricornFarm]

Personally, i would keep the chicks in a separate area until they are as large as the other chickens. I generally don't add to my flock , so i don't consider myself an expert on that. If you were adding them together i think it would be best to introduce them on neutral territory.
Good luck with your flock.

 

[CSAchook]

That's a snug space to integrate into.....any chance of extending the run?

Think vertical walls with no dead ends. They don't need to be tall just 2' will help.
If you were to mount a 2'x4' piece of plywood to a base also of plywood you could have a short movable wall.

One thing to consider is what to do if things don't work. Can you add a run to the prefab? Make the prefab into a second coop?

Bubbles being a ..... well ...... a chicken makes things harder.

Adding roosts in the run also gives a place up high for them to get away but I fear Bubbles could desert the young in favor of using the roost for herself.

You've kind of missed the window. Each of us do it differently, with what works. If one does not separate the broody from the bunch, when the chicks hatch, her hormones are quite high. The chicks are quite tiny, and in a very short time, the flock accepts them.

But by 4 weeks of age, the broody hen's hormones are faint at best. She has or will soon "forget" her chicks. They will just be birds. She will have no urge to protect them. The chicks are bigger, and the original flock of hens might seriously attack them. They can be relentless.

I often times set a pallet up on a single layer of cement blocks in each corner. Often times, I have a feed bowl there in addition to the main one. Chicks can scurry right under it, big chickens get slowed down.

My advice, is wait, until the new chicks are getting close to laying, and then combine your two flocks. Adding more birds close to the same size is best to an established flock, it spreads the pecking out. Adding a single bird to an established flock can be darn hard on that bird. Everyone knows they don't belong.

You could also try this, flip the two groups around. Put the original flock where the babies are, and vice versa... this allows the new birds to explore the area without being attacked. And the other birds get used to seeing these birds in their territory. Leave them for several days. Then add back the old, shutting up the little coop.

Good luck,
Mrs K

Personally, i would keep the chicks in a separate area until they are as large as the other chickens. I generally don't add to my flock , so i don't consider myself an expert on that. If you were adding them together i think it would be best to introduce them on neutral territory.
Good luck with your flock.

Thank you all for the feedback. This is my first time hatching with broody (or hatching at all for that matter) and I am still learning so much!
I talked to DH and have also been scouring the yard, shed and online adds looking for materials to expand the run and possibly expand or build a second coop. We will not give up! I mean, there is always room for another coop right?

In the mean time, does it seem like a good idea to keep letting everyone free range together for a few hours a day?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yes I would continue the range time interaction.

It could be one of those things that works itself out while ranging.

My bitty bantam is terrifying while she has chicks. It's awesome when mom is ferocious but nerve wracking when mom is submissive.

Maybe mom will snap to and defend the kids if one gets pinched by someone.M



Chickens are weird.

 

[CSAchook]

Yes I would continue the range time interaction.

It could be one of those things that works itself out while ranging.

My bitty bantam is terrifying while she has chicks. It's awesome when mom is ferocious but nerve wracking when mom is submissive.

Maybe mom will snap to and defend the kids if one gets pinched by someone.M



Chickens are weird.

She did go on the attack once yesterday, when a hen tried to go directly after one of the chicks. Bubbles won that battle. But (fortunately) so far the hens have shown very little interest in the chicks except occasionally when one is standing close by, in the open, without mom. When the hens attack Bubbles though she turns tail and runs . I think that is just her personality. Even when she was broody and sitting, she was never aggressive. As you say, chickens are weird.
We will keep trying with the free range meetings. Because I love Bubbles even though she is a doofus. And she really has done a good job teaching and tending her babies up till now

 

[CSAchook]

Great news! I found a fantastic deal on a 6ft x 8ft dog kennel. DH and I are picking it up on Sunday. Then I just have to decide the best way to incorporate it into the existing set up. Hmmm might have to move the prefab unit.
@21hens-incharge I really like the idea of a low walls to break things up. Gonna talk to DH about that too. I have also been poking around the yard looking for things to add some interest to the run. Found a gnarled old stump thing that I think the babies might like.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I need to find things like that for my birds. My run is way to boring.



Good score finding the dog kennel!