We know broody hens. How about a nanny hen?

[azygous]

An extremely minor update: Upon doing the nightly chick check, all four chicks were efficiently lined up on their perch, but no nanny hen.

"Su-su, where are you?", you would have heard me start to question. Then I spotted her roosting against the far wall of the coop on the perch on that side.

To fill you in on the layout of this coop, it was built to house two roosters who had declared nuclear war on each other and the coop was designed to have a removeable barrier down the middle. So there are two separate perches.

The obvious explanation for this "estrangement" is that Su-su needs assistance getting up on a perch higher than eighteen inches. That side of the coop has tiered nest boxes, and it was easy for Su-su to hop into the middle nest box, then hop from there to the perch which is about two feet high. I was otherwise occupied when Su-su went in to roost, so she, being the smart lass that she is, figured out a way to get herself roosted without me.

The chicks seemed content. Su-su was content. So, I am content.

 

[aart]

So same roost but different ends?

The chicks seemed content. Su-su was content. So, I am content.

That's all that matters....good that she's maybe 'separating' like weaning?

 

[azygous]

Since Su-su wasn't growling at the chicks to come over and join her on her perch, the thought did cross my mind that she may be ready to start weaning them. They are close to ten weeks now.

The perch would be one long perch the length of the coop but for my desire to have a barrier in the middle to separate the two combative roos, the original tenants of the coop. So the chicks would need to hop down and trot over to the opposite end to share Su-su's perch.

I'll watch tonight and see what they do, and how Su-su handles things. I have a hunch Su-su may not wish to rejoin the rest of the flock in the main coop after she weans these guys and they will all continue to be happy in this one.

 

[aart]

I have a hunch Su-su may not wish to rejoin the rest of the flock in the main coop after she weans these guys and they will all continue to be happy in this one.

Are they separated from the rest of the flock now....or not?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I just observed something truly amazing. I always assumed chickens were linear thinkers. They want to go from point A to point B and they generally try to go there in a straight line. If they want something, they go straight at it to get it.

But what I just saw Su-su do indicates chickens are capable of manipulation or trickery, doing something to indirectly achieve an objective.

The chicks are six weeks old now, and it's time for them to learn about navigating the pop holes to the outside of the run to start to explore the world beyond the run. However, Su-su is lame, and she knows she's vulnerable outside of the run. She won't leave cover and safety. So imagine her dilemma when her chicks are outside and she can't be with them to protect them.

It's fine with the chicks because they are babies and are excited to explore. They return often to Su-su, but Su-su is a basket case when she can't be with them. This is what I saw Su-su do to get the chicks to come back inside the run. She went up to the chick water bottle, grabbed the hanger in her beak, making her "come here" vocal, and gave it a mighty shaking, spilling water, forming a puddle underneath, which soaked the sand. This makes a cool, damp dirt bathing spot that the chicks simply can't resist.

The chicks came running as Su-su expected they would, and everyone was reunited, and Su-su was in control of her chicks again.View attachment 2317817

That's problem-solving on a raven level! I'm impressed!

 

[azygous]

Update from last night: I wandered into the chick run just as Su-su was heading into the coop. She stood under the perch the chicks have been using and looked at me. This is the interpretation of what she said. "Since you showed up, you can make yourself useful and give me a boost up onto this here perch, lady."

Once she was up, she set to growling out orders for the chicks to join her. So much for weaning.

 

[azygous]

@aart , Su-su and the chicks have access to the main run and the rest of the flock except for when I feed them. Most of the time, though, Su-su stays in the chick run, but the chicks wander about everywhere, including outside for part of the day. Only the youngest hens wander into the chick run from time to time, and when they get into Su-su's bizniss, she grabs them like a pit bull and growls and cusses. So, needless to say, very few of them make a habit of it.

 

[azygous]

Su-su says, you can have her for one minute, then you gotta give her back to me. Ten weeks old now.

 

[azygous]

So sad when they grow up and no longer their Nanny Su-su.

 

[ValerieJ]

So sad when they grow up and no longer their Nanny Su-su.View attachment 2357564View attachment 2357565

Well, you just need to get her some more chicks to nanny.