Recently Broody Hen Now Antisocial

[OneAndTwoOfFour]

Hello all. Thank you so much for your insights and expertise. We greatly appreciate you.

We have a YOUNG Buff Orpington who went broody back in October. SHE She was only seven months old at the time.

She hatched out eight beautiful chicks and raised them like a pro mama. We are so proud of her!

We moved her and her babies into a 14x20 foot room in our coop once the babies were four weeks old. Until then, she was in our “Labor and Delivery” room that’s about 4x6’ to keep them all protected from the flock. There’s a hardware cloth door so she could still see her flock when they came to eat just a foot away.

She stayed in the “Playground” room of the coop with her babies for about a week before we opened the door for her to head out into the pasture. The problem is that when she’s let out, she goes right into a nesting box and then immediately goes outside UNDER THE COOP.

She doesn’t free range or socialize at all anymore. She seems a bit “broken” now mentally and emotionally.

About once a week, we can’t even get her into the coop. She goes under the playground and we can’t see or coax her out with treats. We NEED her safely inside the coop at night!

What can we do to help her regain the peace and joy she once knew as normal? We love her so much!

Thank you all for your insights and suggestions! You’re the best!

 

[ChickNanny13]

Sounds like she's wanting to go broody?
Where are her chicks?
Has she laid any eggs under there?

 

[OneAndTwoOfFour]

We can’t tell as it’s too tight for us to see in there. We always allow our hens to go broody and never try to break it as we don’t want to take that away from them.

Her chicks are 8.5 weeks old now and she spends nights in there when she comes in to roost. If we see her, we open the door to offer her the opportunity to go in there with them. Usually she takes it.

But, she just doesn’t socialize with ANYONE from her flock anymore. She seems anxious and unsettled.

 

[aart]

We can’t tell as it’s too tight for us to see in there.

Hmmm...best get under there and see what's what.....then block it off so they don't have access. Is she spending the night under there...with her chicks?

It's good to separate a setting broody with wire from the flock, but they should be put back in with the flock(open the labor and delivery room door) a week or so after chicks hatch. They all need to reintegrate with the flock. There will be some fights but it usually smooths over pretty quick. Water under the bridge now.

Now you have a single bird(the broody) and the 8wo chicks that need to be integrated into the flock.

How many other broodies had you had hatch chicks...and how did yo handle it?

 

[Shadrach]

My view.
If you let a broody hen sit and hatch her eggs she will want to do what comes naturally. While sitting this means she can leave the eggs and nest site to eat, defecate, dust bath and drink and often meet with the other members of her flock.
After hatching her eggs her instinct after normally 24 hours from first hatch is to leave the nest with her chicks and teach them to forage, bath and all the other skills they will need to survive in that environment.
My view yet again, if you interfere in her natural system by locking her in while sitting or once the eggs have hatched you are more likely to get behavioral problems with both the mother and the chick.
Many will disagree.

 

[staceyj]

Or it is simply because this *particular Buff is “persistently broody”?

Some breeds tend to be broody, some don’t.

In my experience, Buffs are ones who ARE.

If her chicks are eight weeks old, she’s resumed laying by now and is likely cycling back into broodiness.
It’s hormonal, and with some birds unfortunately, it can lead to isolation from the flock, loss of conditioning, even starvation, as the broody spells take a toll on the bird.

I suspect that if you got a rake under there you’d discover a clutch of eggs.

I would consider, blocking off access to that “playroom” area permanently, intensively reintegrating her with the flock, and making every attempt to break her broodiness if possible.

 

[aart]

My view yet again, if you interfere in her natural system by locking her in while sitting or once the eggs have hatched you are more likely to get behavioral problems with both the mother and the chick.
Many will disagree.

Yep, I do.
'Locking them in' a space large enough to stretch eat drink poop and within sight of flock can make the setting period much less problematic....better yet if area has access to a run outside for dust bathing. But I agree that they should have access back with the flock as soon as possible after hatch.

 

[OneAndTwoOfFour]

Thank you all so much! We will take ALL of this undervadvisement and make the necessary adjustments and modifications to our coop. You all are so grest. Thank you!