Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[BarnGoddess01]

Ok - so I know y'all are going to tell me to get over myself and stop meddling but sheesh - chicks are 5 weeks old now and mom has gone truly postal with the rest of the flock. I can let the chicks mingle with the flock in the coop and everybody is fine but if mom gets in the mix, war breaks out. In other words, I still have to keep them caged overnight. Seems to suit her and the family just fine. I'm just a bit surprised that she's carrying on this long. They are fine outside, unless, of course, mom and family are near the coop door in which case NO ONE is allowed to enter the coop.

Broody mama is meaner than a junk yard dog - let alone a rooster. Speaking of which, even THEY won't go near her!!

And while I'm in complain mode - we've had 2 solid days and nights of torential rain. Temperature has dropped from upper 60's to below 50. Rain has stopped today so I was able to get the flock outside but it's still overcast and windy. 5 week old chicks had a SERIOUS case of the shivers after just 40 minutes outside - even the one with the most feathers!! Had to hustle them all back to the coop so mama could warm them.

Late summer/early fall broody in Canada - what was I thinking ?????

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

barngoddess, I am having a similar situation, except my broody isn't caged inside the coop.
She has the peeps inside the coop (it is chillier here now than when they were hatched) and won't allow the rest of the flock inside at all during the day.
I have taken to free ranging the rest during the day, so they can get their own food (the feed is kept in the coop), while Mum does her scratch and peck lessons.
I hope your Mamma calms down a bit for you, and the flock can merge before the snow flies!

 

[Honeysucklefeathers]

I have 3 sizzle hens sitting on the same eggs;-) It is hilarious, they are all piled together on 3 little eggs

Just waiting for them to hatch

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Heaven help me, I only had 2 days during which questions about the "next phase" didn't plague my mind...
But I am back to that, now, and am wondering:
After a hatch, approximately how long before Mum's hormones allow her to go back to laying? Any ballpark thoughts?

 

[Jloeffler]

Well, nothing and nobody new came home with me from the swap. Very sad!! And I left with both birds I'd taken to sell, not too surprising since both were Roos . DH saw silkies for the first time and said they were pretty cool! Unfortunately both the roo and hen sold before we could buy them. Oh well! There's always next Saturday !!

Honeysuckle, please tell me you have pics!! That sounds too cute for words.

Rachel, my broody mama hatched on labor day. I had take the chicks and pit them in a brooder so she's been chick less for 4 weeks. I suspect she's been laying for a week now but I know she laid for certain yesterday. We have no roo in that pen so she had no reason to rush back. Hope that helps!

BG, all I can say is Canada? What were you thinking??

Sorry! I am cold natured so I prefer heat. I was born and raised in MI so possibly similar to where you are. Now I live in the southeast. Much preferable, even when it gets over 100 in the summer!!

 

[mstricer]

Rachel'sFlock :

barngoddess, I am having a similar situation, except my broody isn't caged inside the coop.
She has the peeps inside the coop (it is chillier here now than when they were hatched) and won't allow the rest of the flock inside at all during the day.
I have taken to free ranging the rest during the day, so they can get their own food (the feed is kept in the coop), while Mum does her scratch and peck lessons.
I hope your Mamma calms down a bit for you, and the flock can merge before the snow flies!

You shouldn't worry about the rest of the flock, that momma will defend her babies to the death. Mine was only in a cage for the first few days, they I introduced the duccle rooster who loves babies, he let everyone know not to hurt them and 3 weeks later everyone is intrigrided, no on mess with the babies. I did have a problem with her jumping in the nest with another broodie hen and kicking her off her nest an having all her babies up there. Now the other momma has her own coop with her babies, she has silkie babies and I didn't want any of them to get smashed by people jumping down on them. Everyone is happy. Hope all goes well.
Michele​

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Quote:
So, I am hearing a few weeks until laying?
I do have a roo and she is raising the babies herself.
I just wondered aprox how long to wait for her to leave them on the ground (? or maybe they will join her???) and go lay an egg.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Quote:
You shouldn't worry about the rest of the flock, that momma will defend her babies to the death. Mine was only in a cage for the first few days, they I introduced the duccle rooster who loves babies, he let everyone know not to hurt them and 3 weeks later everyone is intrigrided, no on mess with the babies. I did have a problem with her jumping in the nest with another broodie hen and kicking her off her nest an having all her babies up there. Now the other momma has her own coop with her babies, she has silkie babies and I didn't want any of them to get smashed by people jumping down on them. Everyone is happy. Hope all goes well.
Michele

My Mamma and babies were never caged to separate, but they do have their own nesting area which is a bit apart from the rest of the GP, in the same small coop. She still takes them back to the nest when the flock is inside for the night.

I do wonder if she will re-adopt her favorite nesting box for laying, again, or if she will always lay in her broody nest on the ground after this.

She is fierce about protecting them, and I have seen her run headlong, like a roo, non-existant spurs out, in the face of, and over the top of a hen who got too close to them when they were outside that first day.
Amazing what a good Mum can come from a first-timer!

 

[stonykill]

Rachel'sFlock :

Heaven help me, I only had 2 days during which questions about the "next phase" didn't plague my mind...
But I am back to that, now, and am wondering:
After a hatch, approximately how long before Mum's hormones allow her to go back to laying? Any ballpark thoughts?

mine go 4 to 8 weeks. Depends on how long she wants to raise her little ones. Of how much the Roo's bother her.​

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Quote:
mine go 4 to 8 weeks. Depends on how long she wants to raise her little ones. Of how much the Roo's bother her.

Thanks a million, stony. That is exactly what I wanted to know.