Irresponsible mum?

[ArcticBark]

I’m wondering whether to let my “irresponsible” buff orpington mum hatch another nest.

4 weeks ago, she hatched “her” first 3 chicks (marans mixes). To my horror, she would allow her 3-day-old chicks to venture out while temperatures were near freezing. I spent the next 3 days practically camping at the nest, shocked by how much time they spent out and about. She seemed more concerned about keeping them fed than warm and I had my heat plate blasting inside... just in case.

But it turned out great: The chicks feathered out super fast, got incorporated into the flock at week two and are incredibly feisty.

So far, I’ve only cared for incubator-hatched chicks, so I really wasn’t prepared for this. Anyone else experienced this? She’s broody practically nonstop, so I’d planned her as our go-to surrogate, but I’m wondering whether I should allow her to hatch again—maybe this was a fluke.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

if none of her chicks died, and she took care of them, then she was in fact a responsible broody hen. Broodies know best for their chicks, so if she was letting her chicks out and about, then she probably felt comfortable with it. I would let her hatch another brood.

 

[DogsAndChicks123]

If you are really concerned for the chicks safety you could have the mama hatch and incubate the eggs and then raise the chicks in a brooder yourself

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

If you are really concerned for the chicks safety you could have the mama hatch and incubate the eggs and then raise the chicks in a brooder yourself

It's a good idea, but inhumane to the mother. They put a lot of work into hatching those eggs, and to take the babies away would be kind of traumatizing. Just my opinion, though.

 

[ArcticBark]

Thanks for the responses. Yes: in her own peculiar way she brought them up responsibly. But because she deviated so much from the guidelines (I mean couldn’t she just google it!?), it seemed nuts.
But she’s also incredibly protective so my gut says separating her from the chicks would stress her out. (Plus the biggest benefit of letting a hen do it is the ease with which the chicks learn their chicken ways. I find incorporating chicks into the flock more stressful than incubating them.)

 

[dougieee]

Broodies ALWAYS surprise me, we kind of impose our own interpretation of good parenting on them and are often wrong.
My broody hatched hers last week, all through setting she would leave the nest, sometimes long enough to let the eggs go nearly stone cold, i felt sure she would have a low hatch rate.
Low and behold 2 days earlier than i counted she hatched 9 of 9 and is a brilliant mother.
Im pretty sure they know WAY better than we do.

 

[ArcticBark]

Broodies ALWAYS surprise me, we kind of impose our own interpretation of good parenting on them and are often wrong.
My broody hatched hers last week, all through setting she would leave the nest, sometimes long enough to let the eggs go nearly stone cold, i felt sure she would have a low hatch rate.
Low and behold 2 days earlier than i counted she hatched 9 of 9 and is a brilliant mother.
Im pretty sure they know WAY better than we do.

This is reassuring. I didn’t even want to mention how stressful the first 21 days were, the way she’d leave the nest—even during “lockdown”!!!

 

[neo71665]

Chickens have been hatching and raising babies long before humans.

 

[ArcticBark]

Chickens have been hatching and raising babies long before humans.

Indeed. I’m mainly contemplating this Orpington’s suitability for the job as she’s currently the only large hen we have that goes broody. But I’m thinking she can be our flock’s foster mum.

 

[jaywin]

Hi
I also had a mama in with my flock and she too took the babies out and about all day. It’s not that warm but she just sits down now and again and let’s them snuggle up. I’m raising some myself and definitely think the ones outside with mama have a better start even with all the spoiling of them I’m doing! I too worry the ones in my stable need heat but the ones outside are fine!