My broody hen is a great Mama. Her babies are 24 days old. She's done a great job taking care of her 10 chicks, and integrating them into the flock. I've kicked her and her clan out of their floor level broody pen. Hoping that she will take them to the roost. So far, no interest in that. She's bedding down in various corners. I have to block off the nest boxes every night to keep her and her clan from soiling the nests.
Broody #2 has a clutch of eggs that will be hatching on Sunday or Monday. (Which is why I kicked Broody #1 out of the floor level broody pen.)
So, here are my ?'s of the day:
1. How many chicks have your broody hens raised?
2. How long did the broody "mother" her chicks before she "kicked them to the curb"?
3. If you've had more than 1 broody at a time, did you keep them together with the rest of the flock, and were there conflicts between the 2 broodies?
Mini Minx; three clutches, four, two and six.
Ruffles; three clutches, two, two, one.
Cheepy, one clutch, ten!
Blue Spot; two clutches two and four.
Dink; two clutches, two and six
Myth, one clutch, two hatched and she killed them.
Donk, one clutch, two
Mel; two clutches, two, one
Fudge, one clutch, three.
Mora, one clutch,three
The shortest was Dink. She managed about two and a half weeks
The longest was Ruffles at two and a half months. She only stopped because she sat again.
I have a multiple coop arrangement. Some of the older hens sit in their tribe home. This saves the problem of introducing them to the tribe later, and the problem of when to return to the coop.
All the hens that belong to a tribe return to the tribe coop with their chicks.
I have had two hens from different tribes hatch chicks within a few days of each other. they fought.
It is a generalisation but the more senior the hen the easier it is to take the chicks back to their tribe coop. The reasons should be obvious.
I don't let pullets sit for the above reason.
