New mother hen behavior???

[CorinneP]

She May Act Very Different towards Chicks she actually Hatches..

 

[Back2Roots]

If you have time, you can break the broody-ness from her. My DH did it last year with a couple of our girls. He just filled a 5 gallon bucket with water from the hose. He dunked the chickens a few times a day until they stopped sitting on the nests. Broodiness is trigger by an increase in the chicken's body temp. If you cool off the chicken, she will stop being broody. It works like a charm. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_can_you_stop_a_broody_hen_from_being_broody

Ummm, I think the OP of this thread has the opposite problem - she WANTS the hen to be broody and a good mother; she doesn't want to STOP broodiness.

 

[Beekissed]

I wouldn't say she was a bad mommy. You didn't say if she had been setting on fertile eggs or any eggs for that matter. She may just know they are not her babies and doesn't want anything to do with them. I set fertile eggs under a broody hen that didn't lay fertile eggs and she hatched out 4 chicks. She is the best mother hen I've ever seen! And to the other person with no where to put the mother hen and chicks, a large dog kennel works great! My mother hen takes them back in to bed at night and I close the door to keep them all safe.

This! If you have a broody that is sitting on eggs, simulating a hatch is easy by slipping her some chicks in the night and removing eggs. Having a broody that has never gotten a chance to settle into a nest and actually sit on eggs won't be accepting chicks. I've even had broodies that I slipped eggs under a week before the chicks were delivered and then moved her to a broody pen the night before actually giving her chicks. Chickens aren't all as dumb as people imagine...you have to at least try to simulate a nest hatch before they will believe they had a family. If the hen wasn't even brooding eggs, it would be real tough for her to accept some strange animals that somehow got into her nest in the night.

Another tip is not "letting her out to do her business" away from chicks and into the rest of the flock. A broody needs a place where she can do her business, eat, drink and all the rest without ever leaving the vicinity of her brood.

 

[wowmanacat]

I am about to see how good of a mother my broody hen is. So far from what I can see one of the eggs has hatched(day18) She is in the coop with all the other layers, for that is the only place that I have for her at this time. This evening I am going to put a feeder in there for her and her chicks along with water dish in a day or so. I don't want to do anything to the coop for we are renting and will be moving in about 30 days.

 

[kelly77]

A Broody hen will assist the hatch of her chicks and sent them with her oil gland...that is how she knows they are hers. If you see her threw the whole process set her up in a brooding area away from the rest of the flock a one level area easy for chicks...here is a picture of my set up


I put a small cap of water in the food dish, or u can use marbles in the water...she doesn't go outside and won't until the chicks are older

 

[Back2Roots]

A Broody hen will assist the hatch of her chicks and sent them with her oil gland...that is how she knows they are hers. If you see her threw the whole process set her up in a brooding area away from the rest of the flock a one level area easy for chicks...here is a picture of my set up


I put a small cap of water in the food dish, or u can use marbles in the water...she doesn't go outside and won't until the chicks are older

This looks like a great setup - not a lot of room or expense required.

 

[Back2Roots]

I am about to see how good of a mother my broody hen is. So far from what I can see one of the eggs has hatched(day18) She is in the coop with all the other layers, for that is the only place that I have for her at this time. This evening I am going to put a feeder in there for her and her chicks along with water dish in a day or so. I don't want to do anything to the coop for we are renting and will be moving in about 30 days.

Can't you at least section off a space for your broody and her chicks in your existing coop?

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
Yes all it takes is a cardboard box, nothing permanent.

 

[kelly77]

Yes all it takes is a cardboard box, nothing permanent.

I agree the other hens will pick on them all

 

[grama bailey]

i have a small turkin that is raising 3 baby turkins and one anacona chick for about 1 week and i just tried to put another newly hatched turkin with her and she would not stop pecking at it. WHY?