Should I separate the hen from her chicks???

[OrpieLover31]

Sooo my hen went broody and we decided to get her little baby Lavender Orpington chicks. She has been a great mother to the chicks. But we just got 2 more little chicks about the same age as the others. We have tried to give her the new ones but she keeps on chasing them away and pecking them! We know that she sees them as a threat and all but we cant brood them our selves. They are all 3 or 4 months old now and fully feathered. I think its time to separate them now. Should I take the hen away from her chicks now or should I keep her with them all, even with the ones that she has not accepted???

 

[sumi]

I would normally say leave the chicks with mom until she weans them, but if they are 3-4 months old it's time she lets them go. Put the hen's chicks and the new chicks in a separate area where she can't see them and they can't see/hear her. They should be o.k. after a day or 2.

 

[OrpieLover31]

Okay thanks. I guess I will do that now.

 

[donnavee]

It's funny, we let a broody hen hatch out 2 duck eggs (we don't have a rooster), and she weaned them at around 3 wks. So they are now 3 mo old but they still like to follow her around. Maybe duck memories are longer than chick memories - in fact these 2 ducks won't sleep with the other ducks at night - it's the chicken coop for them.

 

[OrpieLover31]

OH MY! That is really odd... I never heard of that. Hmmmmm........ I dont know what to say.