Retired hen is acting strange

[Paz]

My 7 years old (I think she’s 7, I don’t know) is making weird clucky noises, doesn’t get outside to the yard, attacks my dog, and puffs up whenever anyone gets near the chicks (whom she didn’t raise and doesn’t even share a coop with), she would sometimes bark and charge, she circles the chicks coop and makes high pitched noises.
One of my hens was taken by a dog a few days back, and I’m pretty sure my old biddy is alert because of this, but she’s acting REALLY strange. Is it just that?
The rest are also not so keen on going out, but they don’t chase my dog, or attack people. And they don’t make these noises.

 

[aart]

Sounds like she is broody.

 

[Paz]

Sounds like she is broody.

She doesn’t even have eggs! Hahaha chickens are dumb.

 

[theoldchick]

https://the-chicken-chick.com/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch/

 

[Paz]

S

https://the-chicken-chick.com/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch/

o do I get her in with the chicks or do I put her in a dog cage? She’s not sitting on anything. She just circles the chicks coop and makes these noises. She’s completely active. She just stays inside. She would sometimes get outside, make her noises, only to run back inside and circle the chicks.

 

[aart]

She doesn’t even have eggs!

They don't need eggs to be broody.

So do I get her in with the chicks or do I put her in a dog cage? She’s not sitting on anything. She just circles the chicks coop and makes these noises. She’s completely active. She just stays inside. She would sometimes get outside, make her noises, only to run back inside and circle the chicks.

I'd just leave her be.
How old are the chicks?
Do they have a broody mama?
If not, let the chicks out and she may take care of them.

 

[Paz]

They don't need eggs to be broody.


I'd just leave her be.
How old are the chicks?
Do they have a broody mama?
If not, let the chicks out and she may take care of them.

Chicks are two and a half and three and a half WEEKS old. They don't have a mother, I hatched two of them, and got the rest from a small hatchery.

 

[theoldchick]

S

o do I get her in with the chicks or do I put her in a dog cage? She’s not sitting on anything. She just circles the chicks coop and makes these noises. She’s completely active. She just stays inside. She would sometimes get outside, make her noises, only to run back inside and circle the chicks.

Since she is active, just let her do her thing.

 

[rosemarythyme]

She's probably going broody because of the chick sounds. She may be receptive to the chicks or she might not (some hens will become nannies to chicks) - if you really want to try and put them together make sure you supervise. Otherwise I wouldn't change anything you're doing, just let her be.

 

[Paz]

She's probably going broody because of the chick sounds. She may be receptive to the chicks or she might not (some hens will become nannies to chicks) - if you really want to try and put them together make sure you supervise. Otherwise I wouldn't change anything you're doing, just let her be.

I let the chicks out with her this morning, she really tried to mommy them, but these guys didn’t really care. She crushed the cucumber for them, and she told them where there’s good chick feed for them, and they were like: yeah we know that already. They really enjoyed the bigger area to roam, jumped everywhere, exited through the bigger holes in the fence, she couldn’t confine them. They didn’t listen to her.