Is It Over?

[Amiloo928]

Hello everyone, I’m looking for advice on a broody Mama. Thelma went broody about 10 weeks ago. As we have no rooster, and she was adamant about stealing everyone’s eggs every day, after about two weeks we finally got her some fertilized eggs. She sat very well, and now has a small brood of two 5 week old chicks. She has been an incredibly attentive mother for her first time. We kept her in a separate coop/run within the main enclosure with her babies, so the rest of the flock has gotten used to them being around. She has been on chick feed since her babies hatched as I didn’t have a way to separate layer feed away from the babies eating it.

I was under the impression that being on chick feed wouldn’t hurt her, but it would stop egg production because it doesn’t have the right nutrient levels to support laying. Today, Thelma laid an egg, and no small nugget, at that. I don’t have the exact weight, but I would say it is at least a Large. It has beautiful smooth and rich color, and wasn’t at all misshapen, weak shelled, or irregular.

Does this mean she is pretty much done brooding? Should I let her back into the flock? Will she/should she take her babies with her? Or should I keep them in the separate coop longer?

These may seem like rudementary questions, but as a first timer, I truly appreciate your kind responses and assistance. Thank you.

 

[cmom]

It is really up to you. I would say if she has started laying again she is ready to rejoin the flock but watch the chicks. They are pretty young and they may or may not be accepted and get picked on. You will have to watch them. You can leave her with the chicks and collect her egg. This is my opinion. Good luck and have fun...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

First, congratulations to you and Thelma on the hatch of a brood of healthy chicks.

Broody hens do not need to be on layer as they are not laying. So, you did right.

Yes, they can start laying again without being on layer. It just means she will need to have some oyster shell to replenish her calcium now as she eats the chick feed.

As to whether or not she is ready, they let you know when they are ready to fledge young chicks. Usually they begin to roost instead of staying down with the chicks or pace the run looking to get back to the flock.

Some fledge as early as 4 weeks, some wait until the babes are nearly as big as mom.

Now could be an excellent time to reintroduce momma and chicks if the rest of your hens are pretty laid back. Momma will integrate babes into the flock.

Unless you have very cranky dominant hens. They can haze and harass the new returning mom and babes. It really depends on flock dynamics.

You can try it and watch, keeping a close eye on how things are going. Typically momma will chase off any hen that looks cross eyed at her or the babes. Having them at 5 weeks, if momma is still attentive, is a good age as they are not so small as to be easily harmed by any skirmish that might ensue between momma and an overly assertive hen.

If you do integrate momma and babes into the main flock, it is best to switch all to chick feed or all flock leaving oyster shell on the side for free feed for the laying gals.

Babes won't touch the oyster shell, but laying feed has far too much calcium for the chicks.

LofMc

 

[Amiloo928]

It is really up to you. I would say if she has started laying again she is ready to rejoin the flock but watch the chicks. They are pretty young and they may or may not be accepted and get picked on. You will have to watch them. You can leave her with the chicks and collect her egg. This is my opinion. Good luck and have fun...

How old should the chicks be before letting them into the flock would be safe?

 

[Amiloo928]

First, congratulations to you and Thelma on the hatch of a brood of healthy chicks.

Broody hens do not need to be on layer as they are not laying. So, you did right.

Yes, they can start laying again without being on layer. It just means she will need to have some oyster shell to replenish her calcium now as she eats the chick feed.

As to whether or not she is ready, they let you know when they are ready to fledge young chicks. Usually they begin to roost instead of staying down with the chicks or pace the run looking to get back to the flock.

Some fledge as early as 4 weeks, some wait until the babes are nearly as big as mom.

Now could be an excellent time to reintroduce momma and chicks if the rest of your hens are pretty laid back. Momma will integrate babes into the flock.

Unless you have very cranky dominant hens. They can haze and harass the new returning mom and babes. It really depends on flock dynamics.

You can try it and watch, keeping a close eye on how things are going. Typically momma will chase off any hen that looks cross eyed at her or the babes. Having them at 5 weeks, if momma is still attentive, is a good age as they are not so small as to be easily harmed by any skirmish that might ensue between momma and an overly assertive hen.

If you do integrate momma and babes into the main flock, it is best to switch all to chick feed or all flock leaving oyster shell on the side for free feed for the laying gals.

Babes won't touch the oyster shell, but laying feed has far too much calcium for the chicks.

LofMc

@Lady of McCamley thank you so much for the informative response. Thelma has been pacing her small run frantically every day for about a week now, but she also still gets very nervous if I handle her babies at all. Sadly, so do her babies, despite frequent handling since hatch day.

As for the flock, I have one hen who can be pretty dominant. She has actually started acting more like a he, mounting the other girls, and attempting to crow. She’s definitely ruler of the roost, first to eat, first in line for treats, and first to call out distress signals when the slightest thing is off.

Would this type of behavior be dangerous for the chicks? One of the chicks is definitely a cockerel, the other is still undetermined.

 

[cmom]

One thing to consider is what you feed the chicks and the rest of the flock. Also how large is your flock. I have had some introductions go well and some that haven't. I think the chicks should be a bit older. This is just my opinion and others may disagree. I am lucky because I have several coops so I can separate them. I have some coops I use for chicks and some for grow-out. For feed I have fed the chicks and mom Game Bird grower crumbles. It won't hurt them and everyone gets good nutrition. It is usually higher in protein which is good for growth.

 

[cmom]

If you have a place for the chicks, put mom back in with your flock.

 

[bobbi-j]

How old should the chicks be before letting them into the flock would be safe?

I have learned (after years of waiting until the chicks were 6-8 weeks old), that the earlier you introduce them to the flock the better. Mama is still protective when they're young, so she will not let the others pick on her babies. When she's done brooding them, she will not be as protective and they may have more trouble integrating. I would say introduce them all together, and make sure the babies have safe places to get away from the older ones. Also, you can put the whole flock on a grower feed and offer oyster shell on the side for the hens.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

First, are you sure the dominant gal is a gal? Have you seen her lay eggs? How old is "she."

If you have younger flock members with a coming of age rooster, it could be unsafe for the chicks.

As to age, it really depends on your flock dynamics.

I have a very good, loving rooster. I hatch in the main coop. Babes are in the run by day 3 or 4. I have gate system so older hens can go out but babes cannot (due to hawk risk in free range). Momma stay with the babes in the run until about 6 weeks of age when they start free ranging. By then babes are ready to follow through the steep ramp and gates. Babes have fully integrated into the flock with no fuss.

Other times I have hatched in a broody coop with separate grow out pen for more expensive or valuable projects. Those stay in that grow out until no longer hawk bait size. I do have a transition period with those grow outs into the flock. Momma generally bails at about 4 to 5 weeks of age into the flock. I integrate the larger grow outs at about 8 to 10 weeks when they are no longer so easy to kill and lift out of the yard.

Momma is ready to leave the chicks as seen by her pacing. That means she may or may not protect the chicks. It is a good sign that she doesn't like you handling them, which means she will likely protect. Sometimes during the fledging process momma will haze her babes to tell them to get off with it and grow up. If momma is doing that upon introduction to the flock, the babes will need hiding places away from the flock or kept in a separate grow out pen protected until ready to integrate when they are larger, generally about 10 to 12 weeks of age.

As to feed, I personally don't prefer game bird feed (often 28% protein) for anything other than game birds or turkeys. Too much protein can actually harm non-game types and cause muscle and bone deformity as the protein causes overly fast tendon development. It can also be hard on their kidneys.

I'd keep the protein at the 18 to 20% range. All flock is a good choice, or the chick start. The whole flock can eat either with the oyster shell offered in a separate bowl on the side for layers.

My thoughts.
Lofmc

 

[Amiloo928]

If you have a place for the chicks, put mom back in with your flock.

One thing to consider is what you feed the chicks and the rest of the flock. Also how large is your flock. I have had some introductions go well and some that haven't. I think the chicks should be a bit older. This is just my opinion and others may disagree. I am lucky because I have several coops so I can separate them. I have some coops I use for chicks and some for grow-out. For feed I have fed the chicks and mom Game Bird grower crumbles. It won't hurt them and everyone gets good nutrition. It is usually higher in protein which is good for growth.

We have 13 birds, including the babies right now. We’ve only introduced new birds to the flock once, and they were about 10 weeks old. It went very well, but the pecking order has changed since then, and the hen who used to be the alpha has taken second place to a slightly more aggressive and assertive hen.

We definitely can keep the chicks in the separate coop/run within the enclosure and still let mom back into the flock at large. I think we might do this option, though I have concerns about the babies going to bed on their own without mama to follow. Is this something that happens often? It happened with our meat birds this past spring, and every night for 10 weeks we had to go out and physically pick up each one and put them into the coop for the night. It was horrible. I don’t want to have to climb into the run to collect smaller chicks that actually run away from me every night.