Standard hen mothering bantam hens

[SJensen]

Hi, I have a ten year old standard Easter Egger who has started mothering the rest of the flock -- 5 bantams.

Some background -- the EE has always been dominant -- not letting the other hens on the highest roost, picking feathers, guarding food etc. She has never raised chicks or spent much time broody. Also, the mothering behavior started happening within a week after her long-time flockmate died -- a rival standard hen. For 4 months now she's been trying to feed the bantams (clucking them over to special foods, breaking the food up and dropping it for them). Also she's letting them sleep by and under her.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? It will be interesting to see how long it continues.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I had a hen do this too, though not to bantams, but to few month old chicks. On the first time she did it, she adopted this cockerel who had a leg deformity and she took care of him until he died within a month after she adopted him. On the second time she adopted, I'm not sure how long it lasted. It was of pullets and they eventually matured into the flock.

I would let her keep brooding them (if they're fine with it), at least through the winter. Then, if you want to end the brooding, I'd remove the bantams and possibly give her some pullets who are about the same size and let her raise them to maturity.