Where Are The Chicks...?

[Stacykins]

"Hey, broody hen, you forgot your babies..."

So, er, is this normal? A broody of mine with two chicks took them outside for the first time today. And while she was pretty attentive, she was also somewhat retarded about keeping track of them. She'd see something interesting and take off, leaving her little fluffy ping pong balls behind. They'd reunite after a while. But tonight, when she went to bed, she forgot them again. She was fluffed up on the ground of the coop...while her babies were OUTSIDE peeing up a storm because they were cold. I delivered her the chicks, and she instantly stuffed them underneath her while making happy hen noises.

Is my hen just a dunce? Should I lock up the hen and her chicks for a few days until they can keep up a bit better? I'd hate for something to happen to them. She defends them, at least, when she is nearby.

 

[Aeropennchick]

Ooh I don't know, but that would make me nervous if I wasn't around to watch them! If you have the ability, it sounds like it would be safer to keep them separate.

 

[NovaAman]

Yup... Skeeter's chicks took forever to figure out how to get back in the coop. With the raised coop, they couldn't just walk in, so I'd have to chase them around the dang run, under the coop, catch em, and stuff them in all the while Skeeter is having a freaking fit. I eventually just set them on the walk up and then they figured it out after a few days. Was a pleasant surprise to see them in the coop on their own. I'd lock them in a run if you can... until they figure out how to get back in the coop on their own. Skeeter was taking them out as early as 3 weeks old. IN JANUARY! Oh wait... we didn't have crap for snow here...

 

[JulieNKC]

The broody's I've have have always called the chicks to them when they go anywhere. If you can, I'd lock her up until she remembers she has babies.

 

[gracierooster]

Some hens are smarter than others, like people. Sometimes they are really bad and can't handle the chicks at all, they end up dead from neglect unless you catch them and pen them seperate in a flat run. I have had others that would kill you if you got near them. Right now I have two broody hens who are sitting on wooden eggs. I took all their eggs away a week after they started sitting. Thursday is their 19th day, (they are twins and just decided to sit together at the same time) so I'll truck myself to the local feed store and pick up some pullet chicks and Thursday night I'll stick them under the hens, pull the wooded eggs out and......WALA! Hens with all girlie chicks!! I plan on oulling them out of the coop for a while and putting them in a pen of their own.

 

[Stacykins]

Yep, she lost her chick raising privileges this time around. After being locked up for a few hours, I let her and her two chicks out since I was there to supervise. She attended to the chicks for a while, and then ran off without them. I found them in the middle of the yard while she was off dinking around on the other side of the property. So the two are in the brooder now. They're a bit distressed, but I think it is for the best. Both are fantastic rumpless, double tufted chicks, the first from my own Araucana eggs (one hatched from another batch, but died shortly thereafter).