When will she kick them out of the nest?

[lazy gardener]

Today, I blocked CW (broody #1) and her babies into one bay of the run. I let BA (broody #2) into the remainder of the run. She has kicked butt of all but the most dominant hens. All the hens are playing nice with the chicks, 3 or 4 chicks stomping around in the FF bowl while the other hens peck around them to share the FF. BA stands back and watches this. The dominant hens have done a bit of cursory noggin pecks to the chicks just to remind them how things stand. After a day or two of this integration, I may open up a chick sized area so that the "big" chicks can come in and meet BA and the "little" chicks. Then, I hope to let CW and BA into the same area.

 

[lazy gardener]

Broody #1 (CW) has weaned her babies, but they do not know that yet. They still follow her around, paying great attention to what she does. She will come to their aid if they are being molested by an other hen. But, for the most part she goes about her business. She's been going to the nest box, and squatted for Goliath yesterday. I don't know if she's laying yet, but that she's visiting the box and does not appear to be broody, I consider that to be a good sign. She seems to be more affected by the heat than the rest of the flock (she's a massive girl) so, I gave her a cool down with the hose yesterday. 3 fold reasoning: She was hot, she does not keep her bum clean, and if she was planning to start brooding again, the cold water just might turn the hormones in the other direction. When she's in the nest box, she has a little crowd of groupies (her chicks) hanging around watching her. Her babies are now 8 weeks old.

As of today, I've stopped separating the 2 family units. Broody #2 (BA) pays no more attention to CW and her babies than she does to any other flock member. She thrashes all equally if they come near her domain. Her babies are now 3.5 weeks old.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

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?

1. My Sebright x Old English Game Bantam pullet hatched 6 out of 6 eggs less than 5 weeks ago.
2. She is still mothering them and fiercely protective of them. She has been better about constantly fighting with the other pullets and hens but lately my Frizzle Bantam hen who I am trying to break of her broodyness is instigating fights with her. It’s almost like the Frizzle is trying to run the mom off so she can take over the care of the chicks.

 

[centrarchid]

1. How many chicks have your broody hens raised?

Varies greatly. Broods with four or less I pull from hen so she can try again. Average is in the range of 8 to 10. Doing really good when 12 or better. Largest brood hatched by one hen here was in the mid 20's I think. Hens producing multiple broods with good hatch and rearing can get well into 20's for season in terms of chicks reared, with exceptional individuals getting into 30's. Lifetime production of weaned chicks can exceed 100, especially with hens allowed to go beyond four years as a broody.

2. How long did the broody "mother" her chicks before she "kicked them to the curb"?

Most wean at about 5 weeks when chicks loose down on head. Smaller broods when hot sometime weaned as early as 3 weeks. Large broods late in season can be under maternal care until pushing 12 weeks. Roosters add interesting variations with games.

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?

Sometimes hen will be kept in a 10 x 10 dog kennel with her brood and two additional hens and the cock. Three done that way this year yielding 7, 1 and 1 surviving chicks. Conflicts are close to being rule which I associate with reduced weaning rate of chicks hatched.

My American Dominques rear about half as many chicks as the games, at best.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thank you!

Question of the day:

?: How many chickens does it take to lay an egg?

A: 6. One ex broody who has weaned her chicks, plus 5 of her chicks who are still groupies and follow her around, observing everything she does! I was quite amused to see CW, (broody #1) in the nest box yesterday, with 5 of her chicks perched around her, waiting for the egg!

 

[lazy gardener]

BC, that may very well be the case.

 

[Shadrach]

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.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks all for good info.

 

[Shadrach]

Ooops,forgot Otic
Otic; one, two.

If you have the time the story of Cheepy (in my stories in my signature) tells what happened when Cheepy tried to rear ten chicks.

I don't let hens have a clutch larger than six now.

 

[lazy gardener]

Last night, I started to disassemble the in-coop broody pen. All that is left is the 2' tall x 4' long dividing wall, and that will come down when drill, bit, energy, and appropriate lighting all line up at the same time in the same universe. Kind of like Hayley's Comet.

CW (#1) is still surrounded by her "groupies". They were hatched 6/19. BA (#2) is rarely to be seen with her chicks during the day, but she does sleep with them. They were hatched 7/14. Still waiting on final gender ID with both clutches. One of the EE from group #1 was getting all uppity with me yesterday. I showed him how to run away from the human. Also gave him a lesson in "bowing his head in subservience" to the flock master.