Mommy is tired of being a mommy

[ryanhodapp]

I had a bantum frizzel go broody in March. Never could eggs to hatch. So we bought her day old chicks and she took to them. This was the first week of April. She has been a great mom. She has a full size cochin and a silkie. (the cochin was suppose to be a silky, ugh).

So the last few nights mom has been trying to go back to the regular coop. I let her last night. The little silkie chirpped for what seems like forever. She wasnt alone, had other pullets with her and her sister.

Will the silkie adjust???
(I have two coops, but mom's coop is not used for babies because they couldnt get in or out.)

thanks
Marlene

 

[stellacat]

How old are the chicks? It could just be that it's time for them to be introduced to the flock.

 

[ryanhodapp]

They came home the first week of April. They have been introduced to the rest of the flock. But the silkie still likes to sleep under mom, etc. Not quite as independent as the cochin (maybe because she is so much smaller).

 

[ryanhodapp]

anyone?

 

[stellacat]

I think that I would let them be in the grown up pen for a bit (less than one day maybe?), if the mom is wanting to go back then maybe it is just time for them to be introduced and become part of the flock. (I really don't know very much about this subject BTW.)

 

[centrarchid]

Conflicts between hen and chicks can result in what you are seeing. Chicks, smaller ones in particular, can benefit from protracted care. Hen wants to optimize her fitness / reproductive output by starting another brood so will abondon first in preparation for starting next brood. Brood being weaned is somewhat stressed during the weaning process. Despite your birds being highly domesticated, chicks may not be ready to join flock of adult hens. With my birds, chicks of a brood stay together. Sometimes they will associate with adult rooster. My experience based on free range flocks with wide range of roost options in barns and trees where birds sort out roosting arrangements themselves. As soon as I start forcing a more limited set of roosting options, social strife becomes evident.

 

[ryanhodapp]

thank you. Tonight when I came home, mom was back with her chicks. They were laying under her, I guess because weather turned colder. Funny because the one chick is almost the same size as mom now. But the Silkie was happy.

 

[stellacat]

Glad to hear that!