Raising chicks with the flock

[Mrs. K]

The thing is the broody hen, if you let her introduce the chicks to the flock, when they are very young, her hormones are raging, and she will be VERY PROTECTIVE, however, as the chicks get older, the broody hen begins to lose this protective urge and by 3-4 weeks, she often will ignore them all together. So you can wait to long, and have huge introduction issues.

Also, when you move your broody hen to the nest you like, she often will leave that nest and those eggs for the nest that she likes. Been there done that. I just leave them all together. Easier that way.

MrsK

 

[Edwards24]

Sounds good im still a ways off from getting any to go broody as they just started laying about 2 weeks ago but just trying to be prepared because I have became very into raising chickens. To me it does make more since to let mamma do it because she would know best. Now a couple other questions once they hatch in the nest box will mamma get them out or should i build a ramp dont want them falling out? Also with the rooster help mamma watch over the chicks because he is very protective of the hens now?

 

[ChickenTeen13]

They usually dont go broody this early do they?

My first Chicken to go broody, a Buff Orpington, went broody after she had been laying for about 4 weeks. We have no roosters and this was in the Fall so we didn't have her hatch any eggs for us. But i thought you might want to know.