New flock

[mwells6chicks]

So I had a broody hen who started collecting eggs. After a few days, I marked 8 or so eggs under her. She stayed faithful and at day 20 I decided to move her into our brooding coop along with her eggs. The next day 1 chick hatched. A cockeral. She kept setting on the eggs and a few days later I spotted another egg with a beak popped out but after 5 hours nothing. I started to peel the shell away from the beak, no movement. I exposed the head and body and placed it down again and momma pecked at it twice drawing blood. Took it away and researched how mamas may eat their young. Still no movement, I figured it was already dead, so I buried it. It was now day 28 and still 6 eggs under mama. I was ready for a burial but decided to give her a few more days and the next day another hatched. I found it as it just started crawling. The mother was in the run with the original hatchling. When i brought her up to the new chick, who was chirping and looking for her, she pecked at it twice. I got worried so i separated them and let her out for a while to mingle with the other hens. The 2 chicks were getting along fine, but chirping alot for mama. I decided two wouldn't do for a new flock so i went to Tractor supply and got 4 more chicks and kept all 6 together in another larger coop under a lamp. I brought the last 5 eggs and put them in a nesting box and brought mama back in. She checked out all the chicks then went back to the nest. 2 days later another chick hatched and mama stayed in nest with her for 2 more days. I took this new chick and placed it with the other chicks but she kept running back to mama . On day 34 and I took the unhatched eggs away and encourage mama back into coop with all the chicks. She checked them out and then pecked at only the black one, hatchling #2 who she pecked at before. She chased it around the coop until I caught her. I decided to put her back into her flock but she hovered around the coop as she heard the chirping of the chicks. So now she is being bullied big time by the rest of the flock. I was conflicted at every turn but waiting to see how it all works out.

 

[Mrs. K]

The next time you do this you will have better luck. In a natural setting, hens do not keep adding eggs to the nest, other hens add eggs to the nest. And that can cause the wreck you have. A hen lays an egg, and leaves, lays another and leaves, and then one day she likes the clutch and begins to set. All these eggs will hatch together at the same time period. She will then leave that nest, and create a clean nest on the floor of the coop and raise her chicks there.

When you separate the broody from the flock, she becomes a strange bird to them, and has to fight her way back in. It sounds like a good idea, but it isn't. A broody hen who routinely once a day or so, goes out into the flock is a crabby powerful bird. The other hens learn to leave her a great deal of space. They are afraid of her. Later this works best when she brings out the chicks, the layers are already giving her a wide berth, and naturally give her chicks a wide berth too. The longer she is separated from the flock, the worse it is.

Next time, wait until you are sure she is broody, pulling out the eggs under her. Give her 2-4 days to make sure, causeI have had birds that start going broody, then quit, then get serious. Mark the eggs you want to hatch with a marker, put them under her and leave her be. Every 2-3 days, gently pull her out of the nest, being very careful that you don't drop an egg hidden under her wing. She will go take a dust bath, terrorize the flock, and you check the eggs, remove anything not marked with a marker. Do not be surprised if other hens come in and want to lay in that box. That is how the extra eggs get there.

In 30 minutes or so, go back and make sure she has gotten on the right nest. And then leave her be again.

This time, I think you are going to have to brood these chicks yourself. But do try it again, a hen with chicks is all of the fun and none of the work!

Mrs K

 

[mwells6chicks]

The next time you do this you will have better luck. In a natural setting, hens do not keep adding eggs to the nest, other hens add eggs to the nest. And that can cause the wreck you have. A hen lays an egg, and leaves, lays another and leaves, and then one day she likes the clutch and begins to set. All these eggs will hatch together at the same time period. She will then leave that nest, and create a clean nest on the floor of the coop and raise her chicks there.

When you separate the broody from the flock, she becomes a strange bird to them, and has to fight her way back in. It sounds like a good idea, but it isn't. A broody hen who routinely once a day or so, goes out into the flock is a crabby powerful bird. The other hens learn to leave her a great deal of space. They are afraid of her. Later this works best when she brings out the chicks, the layers are already giving her a wide berth, and naturally give her chicks a wide berth too. The longer she is separated from the flock, the worse it is.

Next time, wait until you are sure she is broody, pulling out the eggs under her. Give her 2-4 days to make sure, causeI have had birds that start going broody, then quit, then get serious. Mark the eggs you want to hatch with a marker, put them under her and leave her be. Every 2-3 days, gently pull her out of the nest, being very careful that you don't drop an egg hidden under her wing. She will go take a dust bath, terrorize the flock, and you check the eggs, remove anything not marked with a marker. Do not be surprised if other hens come in and want to lay in that box. That is how the extra eggs get there.

In 30 minutes or so, go back and make sure she has gotten on the right nest. And then leave her be again.

This time, I think you are going to have to brood these chicks yourself. But do try it again, a hen with chicks is all of the fun and none of the work!

Mrs K

Mrs K, Thanks for your advice. I've had only one experience a few years ago with a hen who hatched 4 eggs, I died after a couple of days but I had the please of watching her mother them for 6 weeks at which time she said "see ya" and they were on their own, eventually integrated into the flock. But I never saw a mama reject a chick and that she hatched and then go after it. I was afraid of losing it. But today, the chicks are Ll fine and keeping each other warm. 1 cockerel and 6 pullets. 3 hatchlings (dad is buff brahma, mom of 2 is brown leghorn and a barred rock). I picked up 2 Isa Brown and 2 light Brahmas from Tractor Supply. Cant wait to see them mature.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think it was the staggered hatching that messed her up.