Will allowing my broody hen to hatch out eggs discourage her from being broody in the future?

[Morrigan]

I'm glad to hear Ursula and her chicks are doing good. I would let them out to range together. Most mama hens are eager to show their chicks the ropes when it comes to free ranging. If mama stops mothering them, it will be because she thinks they are old enough, not because she has more space.

Note, I've found a dramatic difference between hens as to when they decide to cut their babies loose. I've had one that was done when the chicks were a couple of days shy of 4 weeks. Other have held on for 12 weeks! Most are done somewhere between 5 and 6 weeks.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I'm glad to hear Ursula and her chicks are doing good. I would let them out to range together. Most mama hens are eager to show their chicks the ropes when it comes to free ranging. If mama stops mothering them, it will be because she thinks they are old enough, not because she has more space.

Note, I've found a dramatic difference between hens as to when they decide to cut their babies loose. I've had one that was done when the chicks were a couple of days shy of 4 weeks. Other have held on for 12 weeks! Most are done somewhere between 5 and 6 weeks.

Thanks. I guess I ask if she can go alone out with the flock because I don't have a covered run or one away from the flock. Idk if I trust letting the babies out without being covered. For them it's kind of in the tractor or not out at all yet. I was just asking if I could give Ursula some time out on her own without her abandoning the chicks, while I keep the babies in the small coop. I think later this weekend or early next week the babies can go in the tractor for good.

What do you think about Ursula taking an excursion for a few hours?

 

[Katiedidnt58]

I let my head chook hatch some eggs for several reasons, one of them was to see if she'd stop going broody regularly. She did a great job of doing all the things mother hens do and hasn't even thought about going broody since. I'm thinking memories of chicks pecking her eyes, swinging from her wattles and using her as their own personal adventure playground /bouncy castle has made her think twice bout doing it all again. Funnily enough, I'd never known her to lay any more than an egg every 2nd day. Now she's laying every day

 

[NatJ]

I was just asking if I could give Ursula some time out on her own without her abandoning the chicks, while I keep the babies in the small coop. I think later this weekend or early next week the babies can go in the tractor for good.

What do you think about Ursula taking an excursion for a few hours?

Of course you can try it and see, but I would expect her to spend most of the time frantically pacing back and forth, trying to get back in with her babies. If she really is willing to spend hours away from them during the day, she will probably not be willing to mother them at night anymore. Chickens are not really set up to be part-time mothers. A hen typically expects to have the chicks with her all the time, until she is done raising them, or until they disappear from her life (sold, eaten by a predator, etc.)

Maybe put her and the babies in the tractor together, if it is bigger than their current pen.

 

[Morrigan]

Of course you can try it and see, but I would expect her to spend most of the time frantically pacing back and forth, trying to get back in with her babies.

Agree. Is there any reason you can't let Ursula out were her babies to range for a couple of hours. Maybe at a time when the rest are confined to their coop if you think you have any bully hens you are worried about. Or, just under close supervision to make sure the others leave Ursula and her babies alone. I've always had my broody hens and their chicks out with the main flock. The other hens show very little interest in the chicks.

 

[SueT]

Mama will want the babies to come out with her. She will not want time away. If you did let them out they would stay with her. I let mine go out into the run within the first week. My mama hen still hasn’t weaned her babies and they are now 3 months old! They do everything she tells them. These youngsters are bantam EE’s.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Of course you can try it and see, but I would expect her to spend most of the time frantically pacing back and forth, trying to get back in with her babies. If she really is willing to spend hours away from them during the day, she will probably not be willing to mother them at night anymore. Chickens are not really set up to be part-time mothers. A hen typically expects to have the chicks with her all the time, until she is done raising them, or until they disappear from her life (sold, eaten by a predator, etc.)

Maybe put her and the babies in the tractor together, if it is bigger than their current pen.

This is a good idea. I'll do that. I'm leaving for the night and it's also been raining nonstop today, so I'll leave them one more day in the small coop and get them in the tractor tomorrow.

Agree. Is there any reason you can't let Ursula out were her babies to range for a couple of hours. Maybe at a time when the rest are confined to their coop if you think you have any bully hens you are worried about. Or, just under close supervision to make sure the others leave Ursula and her babies alone. I've always had my broody hens and their chicks out with the main flock. The other hens show very little interest in the chicks.

Good to know. I was worried because the other hens have shown interest through the wire. But maybe they were more interested in the different feed the chicks had or something. Anyway, I think I'll just put them all in the tractor to be safe.

With all of that said, how do I go about actually separating Ursula from the babies without causing too much stress? My yard isn't huge so I can't really put them in different places where they won't see each other at all. Could I just have Urs in the tractor with them for a few nights, then let her back out into "general population" where she can still walk around the tractor and see the babies, but not get to them? I want her to lose interest at some point because they are meat chickens. We plan to process in mid to late November.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

This is a good idea. I'll do that. I'm leaving for the night and it's also been raining nonstop today, so I'll leave them one more day in the small coop and get them in the tractor tomorrow.

Good to know. I was worried because the other hens have shown interest through the wire. But maybe they were more interested in the different feed the chicks had or something. Anyway, I think I'll just put them all in the tractor to be safe.

With all of that said, how do I go about actually separating Ursula from the babies without causing too much stress? My yard isn't huge so I can't really put them in different places where they won't see each other at all. Could I just have Urs in the tractor with them for a few nights, then let her back out into "general population" where she can still walk around the tractor and see the babies, but not get to them? I want her to lose interest at some point because they are meat chickens. We plan to process in mid to late November.

You don’t need to separate her. She will let you know when she is done mothering and you can put her back with the flock then. She will start laying eggs again and try to keep the chicks from cuddling with her.

In my experience, most hens don’t mother past 6 weeks so don’t worry that it will affect your schedule.

 

[NatJ]

With all of that said, how do I go about actually separating Ursula from the babies without causing too much stress? My yard isn't huge so I can't really put them in different places where they won't see each other at all. Could I just have Urs in the tractor with them for a few nights, then let her back out into "general population" where she can still walk around the tractor and see the babies, but not get to them? I want her to lose interest at some point because they are meat chickens. We plan to process in mid to late November.

Personally, I would leave her with the chicks until she does not want to mother them (as @Cinnamon Roll said).

If she doesn't lose interest by butchering day, I would put her back with the other chickens at that point and butcher the chicks. She may spend some time looking for the chicks, but should get over it in a day or two. Having them butchered (instead of just separated) means she will not hear the chicks calling for her, which should make it easier for her.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

You don’t need to separate her. She will let you know when she is done mothering and you can put her back with the flock then. She will start laying eggs again and try to keep the chicks from cuddling with her.

In my experience, most hens don’t mother past 6 weeks so don’t worry that it will affect your schedule.

Personally, I would leave her with the chicks until she does not want to mother them (as @Cinnamon Roll said).

If she doesn't lose interest by butchering day, I would put her back with the other chickens at that point and butcher the chicks. She may spend some time looking for the chicks, but should get over it in a day or two. Having them butchered (instead of just separated) means she will not hear the chicks calling for her, which should make it easier for her.

Thank you both! This makes sense. I'll get them in the tractor today with Ursula. My plan is to tractor until they are a little bigger, then put them in this separate run area in my yard until processing day (with the tractor as their nighttime coop). I just want them to be big enough before putting them out there so my cat doesn't do anything stupid lol.