Spoiled little velociraptors

[LaurenRitz]

Last summer I gave my consistent broody to my sister, since she was down by 3 hens. That hen promptly went broody and raised 6 chicks in the fall. They are now 20 weeks old and she went broody again in January.

My sister brought her back to me, with her new babies. They are currently in the broody coop and doing great.

She has been my best and often only broody. She is my oldest hen and does an excellent job raising her babies to love foraging. As the matriarch of the flock she was never questioned and had undisputed ownership of any nesting box she chose to go broody in.

But she's been gone for 6 months. Some of the other birds never met her. Others may have forgotten.

The flock is curious, but wary. She's all-out homicidal and wants nothing to do with the flock.

I foresee trouble.

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

Last summer I gave my consistent broody to my sister, since she was down by 3 hens. That hen promptly went broody and raised 6 chicks in the fall. They are now 20 weeks old and she went broody again in January.

My sister brought her back to me, with her new babies. They are currently in the broody coop and doing great.

She has been my best and often only broody. She is my oldest hen and does an excellent job raising her babies to love foraging. As the matriarch of the flock she was never questioned and had undisputed ownership of any nesting box she chose to go broody in.

But she's been gone for 6 months. Some of the other birds never met her. Others may have forgotten.

The flock is curious, but wary. She's all-out homicidal and wants nothing to do with the flock.

I foresee trouble.

Awe. Best wishes with integration…
That’s not easy. I hope they figure it out.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I have a camera near the coop. During the winter I've been feeding the birds at about 3--i.e., 2 hours before sunset.

At about 2:40 they start to wander toward the coop. They mill around until I guess someone calls their group and by 3 they're by the door, waiting for their waiter.

"Party of 30?"

 

[LaurenRitz]

My broody is an egg collector. This last hatch 2 of the "new" eggs had started to develop so I stuck them in the incubator. One hatched a week after the others and my broody accepted her.

This morning the other pipped!

Not sure if the broody will accept this one, but we'll see. If not, I'll set up the heater in the broody coop so at least they'll be together.

 

[LaurenRitz]

A few posts up, I mentioned my broody who was with my sister's flock for a while. Well, her babies are 6 weeks, 5 weeks and 4 weeks. I think she decided it was time to teach them to roost with the flock.

So yesterday at roosting time she took them over to the main coop. Everyone was already in the rafters and the coop door was shut. She walked all over, apparently trying to fond the flock, and eventually led her babies back to the broody coop.

It will be interesting to see how this works out long term. I don't think the youngest is large enough to get to the rafters yet, but I think with a little effort they could all get to the top of the ladder.