The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

I want to do a survey! For those of you that have experienced using a broody hen to hatch and brood:

Is there any breed that has a tendency to help the new youngsters become part of the flock as they become "teenagers" and come into adolescence? Have you experienced a hen that continued to help them become part of the flock as they are coming into adulthood rather than ditching them and even becoming aggressive toward them herself?


Is this a "breed tendency" or is it an "individual bird tendency".

 

[armorfirelady]

I want to do a survey! For those of you that have experienced using a broody hen to hatch and brood:

Is there any breed that has a tendency to help the new youngsters become part of the flock as they become "teenagers" and come into adolescence? Have you experienced a hen that continued to help them become part of the flock as they are coming into adulthood rather than ditching them and even becoming aggressive toward them herself?


Is this a "breed tendency" or is it an "individual bird tendency".

Lucy ditched hers at 6 weeks, Sophie at 7 weeks. (same chicks) Curious what age you mean as teenagers or adolescence? Some breeds/hens mature at different speeds. It seems to me EE mature faster. I want to say Edie laid at 18 weeks....so that would make her adolescence at 9 weeks?

 

[Kassaundra]

Reba



Is a fierce mom who protects her chicks almost to adulthood.

But the other NN broodies we had were not as devoted as her.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@armorfirelady
I was just using those terms loosely. What I was hoping was just that they wouldn't attack them but kind of welcome them into the flock and "look out" for them.

*****

I have only had one hatchery red girl brood. She brooded 2 times so far. Each time she stayed w/the chicks until they were 13 weeks old. You can imagine how funny it was to see those big kids still trying to get under the mom!

But..
When she was done with them she was done. One day she was mamma and the next day she was their enemy - literally pecking them and attacking them if they came near her. After that they were on their own and it almost seemed like the example of the mamma being mean to them seems to inspire some of the rest of the flock.

I was hoping that I could find a broody breed that would still give them a "place"...not attacking them and helping them to be accepted into the larger flock a little better as they continued to grow...maybe protecting them still from the others and helping them be part of the flock.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

@armorfirelady
I was just using those terms loosely. What I was hoping was just that they wouldn't attack them but kind of welcome them into the flock and "look out" for them.

*****

I have only had one hatchery red girl brood. She brooded 2 times so far. Each time she stayed w/the chicks until they were 13 weeks old. You can imagine how funny it was to see those big kids still trying to get under the mom!

But..
When she was done with them she was done. One day she was mamma and the next day she was their enemy - literally pecking them and attacking them if they came near her. After that they were on their own and it almost seemed like the example of the mamma being mean to them seems to inspire some of the rest of the flock.

I was hoping that I could find a broody breed that would still give them a "place"...not attacking them and helping them to be accepted into the larger flock a little better as they continued to grow...maybe protecting them still from the others and helping them be part of the flock.

The sumatra hens I had go broody earlier raised their chicks with niceness even when I moved them from the broody pen back to the layer large flock. They no longer need to protect their little ones but they sure are not mean to them either.

 

[Leahs Mom]

The sumatra hens I had go broody earlier raised their chicks with niceness even when I moved them from the broody pen back to the layer large flock. They no longer need to protect their little ones but they sure are not mean to them either.

You said hens in plural meaning you had the same experience with more than one? In your experience, has this been typical of the breed?

This mamma over here is great with the chicks as long as she wants them. But the attacking is just ridiculous. From what I hear, I was beginning to think that is normal in the 'chicken kingdom".

But I keep wondering about a "wild flock". Would the momma chase them away and they'd have to create their own new flock? Or would they integrate into the larger? It seems to me like the "norm" would be integration unless it was a sick or otherwise "weak" bird that the flock was keeping away so that it didn't bring predators to the whole flock, etc.

So I raised that question wondering if it is the "hatchery" birds that have lost the instinct to protect and integrate or it it's just "normal".

 

[lazy gardener]

Good thread. Let's hear it from experienced broody keepers.

 

[armorfirelady]

@armorfirelady

I was just using those terms loosely.  What I was hoping was just that they wouldn't attack them but kind of welcome them into the flock and "look out" for them.

*****


I have only had one hatchery red girl brood.  She brooded 2 times so far.  Each time she stayed w/the chicks until they were 13 weeks old.  You can imagine how funny it was to see those big kids still trying to get under the mom!

But..
When she was done with them she was done.  One day she was mamma and the next day she was their enemy - literally pecking them and attacking them if they came near her.  After that they were on their own and it almost seemed like the example of the mamma being mean to them seems to inspire some of the rest of the flock.

I was hoping that I could find a broody breed that would still give them a "place"...not attacking them and helping them to be accepted into the larger flock a little better as they continued to grow...maybe protecting them still from the others and helping them be part of the flock. 

Well from my experience with a broody once I do have to say they did chase the babies away & peck at them. But a couple weeks later I can't remember the moms pecking at the babies anymore to keep them away. They don't welcome them back as protectors of the babies either, they all just live peacefully together. Well except at roosting hence the reason the babies are sleeping in the nesting box.

The only hen I haven't seen peck at the babies is Edie. She of course tends to stay off a little ways from the big hens. Stella is her roosting buddy. Edie is just very laid back. Excepts everyone.

The babies only "predator" is Stella. Especially when it's time to feed them. She chases and pecks them babies horribly. The babies learned quick to stay away from her. I guess she knows she's not the baby anymore & not pleased with it.

 

[Kassaundra]

My broody hens have never turned on or attacked their young ones even when they got older. My current set of young ones have been intergrated into the flock for about 2 weeks now, the moms protected them the first few days, but they didn't need any protecting, really. They are part of the flock now and stand beak to beak w/ any of the others thinking they are just as big and bad. They also found a "rock star" to follow like little groupies.




Rudy, for some reason they have gravitated towards him and even w/ moms, they spend their time following the Rudester.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I want to do a survey! For those of you that have experienced using a broody hen to hatch and brood:

Is there any breed that has a tendency to help the new youngsters become part of the flock as they become "teenagers" and come into adolescence? Have you experienced a hen that continued to help them become part of the flock as they are coming into adulthood rather than ditching them and even becoming aggressive toward them herself?


Is this a "breed tendency" or is it an "individual bird tendency".

Quote:


Thanks everyone for the input on this so far. Wondering if @aoxa or @delisha or @stonykill may have a comment on this. Or anyone else!