When Broody is also lowest in the pecking order...

[Shadrach]

People put others' eggs under hens to hatch all the time......

I know. I did write I'll be in the minority.

 

[Rysktal]

@Shadrach Interesting idea. My alpha hen hatched half of her own and half of someone elses. The chicks with my low broody have "siblings" who are 4 weeks older than them already integrated into the flock, maybe that will help.

I do have a rooster, I just don't want his genes being passed down anymore (half silkie half old english game). I'm going to be replacing him before next spring so I can let everyone sit on their own eggs, hopefully!

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach Interesting idea. My alpha hen hatched half of her own and half of someone elses. The chicks with my low broody have "siblings" who are 4 weeks older than them already integrated into the flock, maybe that will help.

I do have a rooster, I just don't want his genes being passed down anymore (half silkie half old english game). I'm going to be replacing him before next spring so I can let everyone sit on their own eggs, hopefully!

You know me Ryktal, I've got strange ideas!
Good luck.

 

[lissalischicks]

I had my first hen go broody this year and she was in the middle of the pecking order (#5 out of 8). The higher ones were not so nice to her, especially #4. I think I got lucky. When she came out with the babies I was a nervous wreck and ready with a broom into intervene. But too my surprise they ignored her. One thing I noticed was when the higher hens got close to her chicks she would just watch even when they would peck at the chicks. And the pecks were very soft pecks not a I'm going to kill you peck. For the most part they ignored mommy and babies. Interestingly, #4 was curious and would follow them around. When one would get separated she would come running and walk with it until she found mommy. But if any of the lower hens came near her chicks, there was murder in her eyes.

 

[Shadrach]

I had my first hen go broody this year and she was in the middle of the pecking order (#5 out of 8). The higher ones were not so nice to her, especially #4. I think I got lucky. When she came out with the babies I was a nervous wreck and ready with a broom into intervene. But too my surprise they ignored her. One thing I noticed was when the higher hens got close to her chicks she would just watch even when they would peck at the chicks. And the pecks were very soft pecks not a I'm going to kill you peck. For the most part they ignored mommy and babies. Interestingly, #4 was curious and would follow them around. When one would get separated she would come running and walk with it until she found mommy. But if any of the lower hens came near her chicks, there was murder in her eyes.

I've found much the same with the more junior hens and a mum; the mums don't take any ****.
What constantly surprises me is how good the roosters are with the chicks.
I've got one very senior hen in Tribe 1 who isn't quite so chick friendly.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... I'm curious what your experiences have been when the lowest hen in the pecking order hatches and raises chicks.... Now... my lowest in the pecking order [has] 3 chicks, I had to seperate her from the flock because Alpha hen tried to kill her babies... I can't help but wonder if letting her have babies was a big mistake...

My experience is that the pecking order is fluid and that hens of roughly the same size, type, and same athletic ability will successfully fend off or defend her own babies. I will freely admit here and now that I have never tried to keep a duke's mixture of chickens and that keeping assorted sizes, types, strains, colors, or breeds of chickens is not IMHO a great idea.

BTW, what is the age, breed, and physical size of your alpha and your omega hen and do you have a rooster? Rooster in this context means a male chicken of at least a year or 12 months old. One important job that a rooster performs is to keep peace between your hens. I have this recurring nightmare where a newby chicken shepard sees their rooster give an uppity hen a good thumping and goes off on the rooster. If chicken society was turned out like human society is then all of us would peck in the dirt, sleep in a tree, crap in the bed, and eat baby mice whole. Sorry but when you get your first chicken forget about Sunday School lessons and all that kind of stuff, absolutely none of it applies to poultry.

 

[Shadrach]

My experience is that the pecking order is fluid and that hens of roughly the same size, type, and same athletic ability will successfully fend off or defend her own babies. here an I will freely admitd now that I have never tried to keep a duke's mixture of chickens and that keeping assorted sizes, types, strains, colors, or breeds of chickens is not IMHO a great idea.

BTW, what is the age, breed, and physical size of your alpha and your omega hen and do you have a rooster? Rooster in this context means a male chicken of at least a year or 12 months old. One important job that a rooster performs is to keep peace between your hens. I have this recurring nightmare where a newby chicken shepard sees their rooster give an uppity hen a good thumping and goes off on the rooster. If chicken society was turned out like human society is then all of us would peck in the dirt, sleep in a tree, crap in the bed, and eat baby mice whole. Sorry but when you get your first chicken forget about Sunday School lessons and all that kind of stuff, absolutely none of it applies to poultry.

What a blindingly good post!

 

[Rysktal]

@chickengeorgeto great questions and thoughts.

My Alpha Hen is a 2.5 year old Olive Egger, currently molting and crankier than usual. She's always been a bit fierce.

My "older" flock is a mix of sizes and breeds/mixes and ages. (Whatever chickens I could find for sale last year). Now that I know more about chickens and have a year of experience under my belt, I can see how it really isn't an ideal situation. Its a huge learning curve, at least for me it has been.

I currently have over 60 chickens and am going to be down sizing to the layers that meet my goals this fall/winter.

I do have an awesome rooster, he's been keeping the peace so well, even with a bunch of young pullets and cockerels running about. I'm pretty sad that I need to replace him but he doesn't meet my goals at all (other than great personality). Half silkie half Old English game, not the dual purpose rooster I need.

 

[Rysktal]

What a blindingly good post!

Yes! I ♡ BYC!

 

[50-45-1]

My flock is no purebreds at all. I have had chickens given to me. I hatch my eggs under broodies. I add new blood into my flock sometimes by getting fertle eggs from other flocks close to me. I try to stay away from top hatters as i have learned they are easily picked off by preditors. My rooster is a good one and my hens are every color, size and description like a rainbow.
My eggs are every shade from white to dark brown and different shades of green. Every chick i hatch is truly a suprise and unique. I never know what i will get.
I have had 4H kids get chickens from me and win ribbons at the county fair they are so beautiful.
IMHO, Its taken Man eons to delevelop and perfect all these different breeds. I guess i just want to mix them all back up.
Just look at us, we are every one unique and different. God likes a variety ,and so do I.