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Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
Mother hens are fiercely protective of their young. She doesn't know you. I would not try to handle her or them or push the issue. Just give her time to realize you are not a threat. By the time she comes around, the chicks will be much more independent.
If you want to try to win mom over, toss her a tin of sardines to feed the chicks every few days. Good luck with them.
 
nyanya said:
A mother hen and her 5 chicks mysteriously appeared in my front yard. I asked around the neighbourhood if any one owned them but to no avail. I have built a chicken coop and have managed to get them in to it. I have been feeding them for 3 days but everytime I go into the coop mother flies at me to attack me. How long will this go on for? I dont want the chickens to learn from their mother that I am a danger. How long do I keep them in the coop before I can let them out to wander in the yard. I have never had chickens before so am a bit worried that mother hen will not adjust to me. I am in Australia in a suburban area.
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Welcome to BYC!! The mother hen is just trying to protect her babies, she’ll warm up to you. And as long as you keep an eye on them, or have an inclosed area for them to stay in, they should be okay outside. The mother will protect the chicks. Just lock the coop up at night so predators don’t come in. :)
 
Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies!
It may take a hundred tries, but getting them to eat out of your hand is golden. lay down feed. then lay id a bit closer to you, then closer. The babies are going to be easier to bond with. Also put a chair just outside the coop and sit in it when you're ready to let them out.
They will come to you very curious.
 

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