Mother hen starting laying eggs, while still mothering her 4-week old chicks!

[deborah]

Lacey hatched 4 chicks on 07/17/15. We put her and her chicks in a chicken tractor much longer than we usually do because we've had 4 broody hens this year and Lacy is only 1 year old; low in the pecking order. We wanted to avoid her getting into fights with other hens; especially other mothers.

Saturday, 08/15/15, I walked past the chicken tractor and noticed an egg on the ground! The next day we let Lacey and her chicks free range to see if she wanted to abandon them. But no; she was still mothering them. Later that day, we hear the "Lost Chick" cry. Lacey is on a nest and the chicks are crying for her. After she laid the egg, she jumped down and joined them. No egg Monday. Today, we put her and the chicks back in the chicken tractor. In the late morning she began pacing. We let her out. She ran to the hen house and jumped in a nest. The chicks followed and cried for her. After she laid the egg, she jumped down and took them over to a watermelon rind we had thrown out for them. She is still with them now.

I've had hens start laying the day after then abandoned their chicks, but never while they were still being mothers. Had anyone else ever experienced this?

 

[nchls school]

Lacey hatched 4 chicks on 07/17/15.  We put her and her chicks in a chicken tractor much longer than we usually do because we've had 4 broody hens this year and Lacy is only 1 year old; low in the pecking order.  We wanted to avoid her getting into fights with other hens; especially other mothers.

Saturday, 08/15/15, I walked past the chicken tractor and noticed an egg on the ground!  The next day we let Lacey and her chicks free range to see if she wanted to abandon them.  But no; she was still mothering them.  Later that day, we hear the "Lost Chick" cry.  Lacey is on a nest and the chicks are crying for her.  After she laid the egg, she jumped down and joined them.  No egg Monday.  Today, we put her and the chicks back in the chicken tractor.  In the late morning she began pacing.  We let her out.  She ran to the hen house and jumped in a nest.  The chicks followed and cried for her.  After she laid the egg, she jumped down and took them over to a watermelon rind we had thrown out for them.  She is still with them now.

I've had hens start laying the day after then abandoned their chicks,  but never while they were still being mothers.  Had anyone else ever experienced this?

Earlier this spring one of my broodies raised serama chicks. One chick was a lot smaller than the rest. On schedule the hen went back to laying and then brooding. She allowed the small serama to sleep under her while brooding eggs; not beside her; under her. Day and night this went on. The first time I couldn't find the young serama pullet it was quite alarming.

Strange behaviors happen, but as long as it works...

 

[deborah]

Looks like she abandoned them today.

Last year we had another 1-year old go broody and she abandoned her chicks around 4 weeks. She hasn't gone broody this year. I kind of hope this happens with Lacey. We have 3 older hens (4 and 5 years old) that have gone broody every year since they were 1 year. They all keep their chicks 8 to 10 weeks.

But 4 broody hens a year is just too much. Even 3 is too much.