When does mama leave her growing chicks

[sawilliams]

Simple question...

When does mama leave her growing chicks?

My chick are about 8 weeks old and mama still teaches them, hides with them, and nests at night with them.

I would have thought by now mama would have at least gone back to the roosts to join the main flock, and at thus piont it's not like the chicks can't roost with her. There are 7 chicks and though i see at night many still huddle under mama's wings all are about to get to the lowest roosting bar which is the same hieght as the highest nest. And is not that mama can't get a spot on the roost of the 4 bars the bottom 2 are empty and i often see her settle up there undisturbed before returning to her chicks in the nest.

My only thought is the sudden drop in day and night time temps may have her feeling uneasy about thier wellbeing? It's in the low 50s this morning where just last week the morning averaged 70+ with upper 80s even into the upper 90s during the day.

I'm not super worried about it at this piont, mostly just curious.

 

[TeeMom]

You have a very loyal momma! Mine have all left their chicks at 4-5 weeks. I have some right now that are almost 6 weeks and mom started laying this week and returned to the top roost with her rooster earlier this week. Babies are all snuggling together on the floor still.

 

[varidgerunner]

It all depends on the breed. The more close to natural "wild" chicken traits you get, they seem to move them along quicker. Season does play a role, hens in the spring will begin to wean five week old chicks away as they become hormonal in preparation for their next brood. Later in fall, on their third brood or so, they will stick with them longer. It works well, the earlier chicks have warm weather on their side.

 

[varidgerunner]

The more egg production oriented breeds can tend to quit earlier too, maybe even before they are done hatching. It's all hormone oriented. We have changed a lot of things to get some of the breeds we have, so it's hard to say what they will do. Some will go in the nest box, lay their eggs and go back to their young chicks. But egg laying is usually what triggers chick weaning. Some of my "wilder" chicken breeds that I consider ideal lay a clutch while weaning chicks and have their chicks convinced mom is no longer their cuddle buddy by the time they start sitting on the new clutch.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My broody hens are not even close to consistent. I've had different broody hens totally wean their chicks at three weeks. I've had some take care of their chicks well past nine weeks. I've had broody hens stop taking care of their chicks during the day but sleep with them at night. I've had broody hens take care of the chicks during the day but not spend the night with them. I've had a broody hen take her chicks to the roosts at 2 weeks, those chicks could fly a lot better than many people give them credit for. I've had broody hens never take their chicks to the roosts before they weaned them.

Temperature or time of year can have something to do with it, but I get a lot of variety even taking that into consideration. One hen that weaned hers at three weeks was earlier this year. It was still pretty cool but the chicks had no problems.

I find that you can't make blanket statements to cover all chickens. They are just not that consistent.

 

[sourland]

What Ridgerunner said X 2.

 

[sawilliams]

So she's an EE, sold as a feed store amerucana. She's a little over 2 years old, so this will be her second winter. Her first time broody as she did not go broody the first year like one of her sisters did (sister as in same batch of chicks at the store). She was broody for about a month before i could let her start sitting on eggs. Long story short we where getting ready to move and i knew I couldn't devote the time and attention to break her, but also didn't want to chance her abandoning eggs if we moved before hatch. I don't have a rooster yet i had to get fertile eggs for her.

Only 1 of the chicks is her own hatch, the other 6 are feed store chicks that she happily took in immediately. The 6 are only a few days younger then three hatched 1.

Other then that she's usually an average layer of about 5-6 per week usually 3 on 1 off, I have seen her scout the nests during the day but not sue if she's laying again, as its fall now and at least 2 of my others have stopped for the winter.

 

[sawilliams]

Another thought, when the first chick hatched and we got the others day time temps were still triple digit. To the piont that most nights mama went to bed with her winds fully extended so the chicks were under her wings but insulated not covered. Even now beside the 3-4 that snuggle just beside her the others sleep under mama to stay warm. I don't know that any chick necessarily gets to sleep under mom vs with the others, it looks more like a who's first or whos going to throw a bigger fit to get a spot.

 

[varidgerunner]

It all depends on the breed. Mine are extremely consistent. They hit six months, and if it is warm they begin to lay, they lay 12 eggs or so and then they hatch them. If it is between March and mid October, they start laying again and hatch another batch. Early and late hatches will see hens sitting the night on eggs before a whole clutch is laid if the temps get below 25 or so. After hatch, and when they start laying again, they usually will brood chicks at night only making them stay away during the day while attending to things like breeding, nest site selection and laying a new clutch. When incubation begins, the chicks go on the roost where mama was brooding them at night, but she is not there. Great care must be taken with penned birds at this weaning period, as mom doesn't want them around. I usually put the chicks in a separate pen, and replace them with a cock bird if I want that hen's breeding, if not I let her lay her ten or fifteen and begin to sit before swapping her eggs for something else. I have left some pens with cock birds in them during incubation. After a while, as the chicks get bigger, Dad will help with brooding, if he is from a truly broody line. Young males will be driven away first in this kind of setup, Mom and Dad will single them out. Young males are supposed to be driven out and form bachelor flocks somewhere in the jungle, and once they are fully grown, the ones that survive predator attacks and each other are worthy to breed. The pullets will hang out with Dad while mom is raising the next brood and if there is a really cold rain, he might put out his wings for them. What I am explaining here is the nature of chickens, as nature intended. Many of our breeds are far from natural at this point, though, with little natural instinct intact.

 

[chickens really]

Long story short...Momma will wean when she is ready...Mine just weaned her last clutch at 3 weeks and the other two previous clutches at 6 weeks...Shepribably has started too although she still hangs around to help...Some Chicks have a harder time letting Momma go.....