Where to have broody hen raise chicks?

[RebelEgger]

Miss Velma insisted on being broody, so as a Mother’s Day gift to her I allowed her to remain on 4 eggs, one from each of my ladies. Congrats PJ, you’re going to be a dad!

She has been incubating her soon to be hatched babies in the coop with the rest of the flock.

I was thinking the whole time of allowing her to remain there and raise her brood with the flock, thinking this will help them integrate much easier.

Of course as hatch day gets closer,
I’m having anxiety about all the things that could be wrong with this plan.

Please share your thoughts or personal experiences with having your broody raise her babies with or away from the flock.

I do have a separate space I can put them in, but it is completely removed from the rest of the flock, and mine no longer free range as we have had a terrible fox issue this year and lost 7 of our flock over the winter, 6 hens and our head rooster, Phillip.

We are currently building a new coop (stay tuned for that post lasted this summer!) which will be able to accommodate this particular situation, but until then… here we are.

Broody Velma:

 

[DobieLover]

I was thinking the whole time of allowing her to remain there and raise her brood with the flock, thinking this will help them integrate much easier.

If no one has harassed her during incubation she should do well raising her brood in the flock. I do that all the time. The rooster will help keep things calm. Because she is right there with her flock they all know chicks are coming and should accept them readily.

Does your flock already eat an all flock type feed with oyster shell on the side because of the rooster? If so, you are all set. If not, switch.

If you've never seen a broody do her thing you are in for a true treat. It isn't just watching her and the chicks but the interactions of them with the rest of the flock. I have a hen who has never even thought about being broody. But she is fascinated with the broody hens and their chicks and likes to defend moms that get into scuffles and walk around with them at a distance. Three times I have seen her jump into broody hen fights and break them up driving off the non-broody girl. I call her Aunt Alecia.

 

[RebelEgger]

If no one has harassed her during incubation she should do well raising her brood in the flock. I do that all the time. The rooster will help keep things calm. Because she is right there with her flock they all know chicks are coming and should accept them readily.

Does your flock already eat an all flock type feed with oyster shell on the side because of the rooster? If so, you are all set. If not, switch.

If you've never seen a broody do her thing you are in for a true treat. It isn't just watching her and the chicks but the interactions of them with the rest of the flock. I have a hen who has never even thought about being broody. But she is fascinated with the broody hens and their chicks and likes to defend moms that get into scuffles and walk around with them at a distance. Three times I have seen her jump into broody hen fights and break them up driving off the non-broody girl. I call her Aunt Alecia.

‘Aunt Alecia’ lol That’s awesome.

Everyone has been leaving mama Velma alone, and daddy PJ while he is a gentle boy like his daddy was, when we I go to check on Velma he goes right in the coop and keeps an eye on me while I interact with her.

Thank you for responding and sharing your personal experience. I was really looking forward to seeing the process of them being raised with the flock, and you have made me feel better about trying this.

I guess I will just monitor the situation and if I need to move them I will. I will keep you posted on how it goes!!

 

[RebelEgger]

And just because I love my boy and think he’s a total stud, I’ll share his pic with you for some eye candy

(These are pics from a few months ago, hence the plastic up for the winter)

 

[RebelEgger]

We have 4 beautiful babies today! Mama seems to be doing well and seems happy, they seem happy. I have their food in with them, still figuring out how and where to attach their waterer.

My main concern is dad. I have seen him twice now pick up a chick and drop it. He doesn't pack aggressively at it or shake it, he just picks them up and drops them. I may move them to a separate coop for their protection. Or should I let it go a day or 2? Is everyone just figuring out their roles and these new little beings? I don't want my sweet little fluff balls to get killed/injured on purpose or by accident.

Have you experienced this @DobieLover?

 

[Shadrach]

Congratulations to Velma and PJ.
Congratulations to you for not moving Velma and her eggs while she was sitting.
Interesting that PJ picks the chicks up and drops them. It's not a behaviour I've seen. At the age of the chicks as long as they are not held which can easily lead to them being crushed no matter how carefull one is, watching them follow mum as she scratches for food for them and seeing them get tossed around until they learn to get in front of mum, rather than behind where mums legs often propels the chicks backwards as she scratches should provide some reassurance as to the robustness of chicks. Chicks tumble off coop ramps, nest sites and objects when ranging without any ill effects in my experience.

If you are likely to go wrong it is here.

I don't want my sweet little fluff balls to get killed/injured on purpose or by accident.

They are not your sweet fluff balls and the quicker you unload this fantasy the better. The chicks are Velma and PJ's and you need to accept this. Velma and PJ as the parents are the ones who should decide on how they bring up their offspring, not you, unless you're prepared to be there 24/7 and speak chicken.
I have never had a rooster harm a chick. Leave them to sort their parenting out. If it goes wrong then this is something one has to accept and if one knows why it went wrong then the time to use this knowledge is the next time Velma goes broody.
You've done everything right so far, don't mess it up by interfering now.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Congrats on the new additions. Can’t wait to see pics of momma with her babies.

Curious as I have a broody on eggs now (first time for me). Did they hatch in a raised nest or ground level?

 

[RebelEgger]

Congrats on the new additions. Can’t wait to see pics of momma with her babies.

Curious as I have a broody on eggs now (first time for me). Did they hatch in a raised nest or ground level?

They are in a raised coop, in the nest box with mama.

Good luck with you and your broody!

 

[RebelEgger]

They are not your sweet fluff balls and the quicker you unload this fantasy the better. The chicks are Velma and PJ's and you need to accept this.

Shadrach, thank you for your advice and comments. I always appreciate hearing from senior more experienced members of the BYC community.

Having said that, I did not mean to imply that I was some starry eyed dim wit who had a fantasy that they were my babies. I only meant that naturally, I do care for them and that I only have their welfare in mind. And, no I don't speak chicken, but I do have the set up to move them to should the rest of the flock, dad included, become a little too rough with them and they need to be separated.

It is my full intention to have them raised with the rest of the flock and learn all the chicken things they can learn from them, however, I will remove them and raise them the way I have raised every other batch of chicks so far should I need to. I will not allow them to become harmed if it can be and needed to be avoided.

I hope you take my meaning well, just please don't assume that caring "chicken tenders" are living in a fantasy land just because they express love or concern for those beings in their care.

 

[Shadrach]

Shadrach, thank you for your advice and comments. I always appreciate hearing from senior more experienced members of the BYC community.

Having said that, I did not mean to imply that I was some starry eyed dim wit who had a fantasy that they were my babies. I only meant that naturally, I do care for them and that I only have their welfare in mind. And, no I don't speak chicken, but I do have the set up to move them to should the rest of the flock, dad included, become a little too rough with them and they need to be separated.

It is my full intention to have them raised with the rest of the flock and learn all the chicken things they can learn from them, however, I will remove them and raise them the way I have raised every other batch of chicks so far should I need to. I will not allow them to become harmed if it can be and needed to be avoided.

I hope you take my meaning well, just please don't assume that caring "chicken tenders" are living in a fantasy land just because they express love or concern for those beings in their care.

I do take your meaning well as I hope you have mine.