(Let Broody Hen Do It All) Experiances Please

[Chickin Fairy]

The chickens my family had were from a remote corner of the globe where they had been bred selectively towards successful brooding as the most crucial characteristic for countless generations. They weren't particularly docile--I've seen a hen run straight at and attack a hawk that had landed on the ground nearby and was eyeing her chicks, and we had some failed integrations where they nearly killed a hen by pecking her half to death before we stopped it. But I think their instincts were just more finely honed regarding chick raising than most of the chickens currently available in the US today. I have to wonder how much epigenetics factors in.

This reminds me of the chickens in the Florida Keys. Wild things. They are closer to the original Jungle Fowl line.

I have one bird that runs right at a stalking cat. She is fearless and my alpha female. She's high production, too. She's just barnyard, but I do always wonder about how more modern birds have had broodiness bred out of them intentionally.

 

[schrephouse]

UPDATE : HUGS IS NOW A MOMMA TOO! Today is day 19 and I see a wee little baby. By morning maybe she will have lots of babies. It's early hatch but all looks well. Closing the hen house door yesterday did the trick. Opened it this morning and she stayed on her clutch.

Kisses is doing great too with her 8 babies. The 9th one that seemed weak died

Now to see how raising with the flock goes.

Photo of Kisses with her 8 and Hugs with her 1st now 6.

 

[schrephouse]

UPDATE: Interesting observations. It's been 9 days since 1st hatch 6 days since 2nd hatch. We have let Hugs go about her business raising her 7 chicks, we have opened Kisses to mingle as she wishes with her 8 chicks. In the beginning the rooster placed rules on the hens and literally blocked them from approaching momma hens and chicks. The hens have been great with the new additions. Today the run was open for free ranging. A squirrel entered the run and for the first time ever I almost felt sorry for a squirrel. Momma hen protected her chicks but it was the rest of the hens that relentlessly pursued, attacked and ran off the squirrel. They have never bothered with squirrels before. Later 4 chicks got seperated from Kisses (my hubbys mistake) their Auntie Australorp was caring for them and keeping them together. Essentially chick sitting. She even walked them back to their momma when guided by hubby and went about her business. Either we are getting lucky or we have the makings of a very functional flock. Today I'm loving my birds a little bit more. Fingers crossed it stays this way. No losses since the weak chick died on day 4, 15 healthy chicks. I'm still astonished with the hatch rate. 18 eggs, 16 hatched, 1 no sign of development, 1 died during incubation early.

 

[Perris]

I think what you witnessed is entirely natural behaviour for chickens. It's lovely.

 

[Debbie292d]

We have silkies that are often broody, but I discovered a few were faking it. I gave up on letting them be moms, though. They do make great moms but every time I wind up with 6-8 week-old chicks that got abandoned, and there was mom, back in the coop being broody again. The only time one ever stayed with her chicks was one hen who had one chick because I sold the rest. That chick turned out to be a hen, and to this day, a year later, the two continue to bunk up together in the same nest box, whether just to sleep or to be broody together.

 

[schrephouse]

We have silkies that are often broody, but I discovered a few were faking it. I gave up on letting them be moms, though. They do make great moms but every time I wind up with 6-8 week-old chicks that got abandoned, and there was mom, back in the coop being broody again. The only time one ever stayed with her chicks was one hen who had one chick because I sold the rest. That chick turned out to be a hen, and to this day, a year later, the two continue to bunk up together in the same nest box, whether just to sleep or to be broody together.

I always assumed momma hen and chicks seperate themseves around 6 to 8 weeks. I've never let them do the raising in the flock before so I suppose I will find out. Hopefully the rooster keeps helping the way he is even after momma goes on her way. Last year I kept momma seperated with her chicks way to long. Every suggestion I read online said 12 weeks. It wasn't a easy transition. But last year there was 5 chicks and all 5 were roosters.

 

[schrephouse]

I decided to just let my broody do her thing. I marked her eggs so I'd know which were the ones being incubated. About wo days later, two of her eggs were smashed/eaten/missing, and there was a big wet mess in her nest and dried egg yolk all over the remaining 3 eggs. We don't have egg eaters, so I think it was an accident? So I fenced off her area with chicken wire so she could have her own area, with water and food in it, and some space to walk around. Put a few more eggs under her, and am prepared to incubate for the last day or so if she doesn't wait for them. All is going well, and her 6 eggs look fine so far.

This is my first time using a broody also. All the hens live in a covered run, and of course the broody had to pick the favorite nest box to brood in.

How did you broody end up doing?

 

[Perris]

my broodies typically stay with their chicks longer than 6 weeks; the best one last year (whose whole brood is still with us, laying and crowing as appropriate) started drifting away from them from 3 months, and it was a few weeks more before she roosted back with the grown ups.

 

[Yardmom]

I have had many broodies. They do vary in the time they stay with the chicks. I have had one abandon around 2 weeks. Even though it was still freezing temperatures at night the chicks were fine. Most start the separation around 6 weeks. Time of year normally affects this some. It usually seems to be triggered by when they go back to laying.

 

[Sussex19]

Some of mine wean them as early as 3 weeks. Although, it almost always seems to be the chicks themselves who want to be independent, as much as the hen wants them gone.
One of mine went for 12 weeks, but the average is definitely around 5 to 6 weeks.
Don't worry about how long it takes, whether it is long or short; they always seem to know best.