4 month cockerel started crowing, his mom still takes care of him

[Mrs. K]

I have Gramma Feathers, and she has 'kept' her chicks longer than any other broody hen I have ever had. She raised 'Bye' one of my top and favorite roosters. She had two broods this year, first one was three cockerels, of which I kept one. And then 3 pullets. April a pullet from a year ago, tends to stick closer to her than others. The cockerel, tolerated the new chicks, but it did kind of stress Gramma out, until I got rid of two of the cockerels, 3 teen age boys and 3 chicks was a lot, even for her.

I have high hopes that she will make a good rooster out of this fellow. April also keeps her chick, a pullet, now nearly laying, more like a friend, closer to her.

I have had chickens for years, some will 'wake' up 3 weeks later and forget they have ever had chicks, some will gradually loose them somewhere between 4-6 weeks, and some much longer.

Mrs K

 

[Altairsky]

I have 2 mature hens. One went broody and hatched babies. The second one went broody after she saw the other hen's chicks and tried to steal them.
After 3 months, the mother hen weaned her chicks. The other hen at that point adopted the 3 months Olds and mothered them like they were babies for another couple of months until I sold them at 5 months old. No cockerels though, lucky me, mama hen hatched 6 pullets out of 6 eggs.

 

[Perris]

I think it is very unusual - but not a bad thing - for broodies and their broods to stay together that long.

Mine drift away from each other over a considerable period, so it's hard to put an exact time on the length of brooding and the age of fledging, but it's usually about 3 months. However, this little family were still spending time together for a couple of months more - they were at 4 1/2 months when this photo was taken. The broody is the left-most bird and at the time, the 3 pullets were about the same size as her, and the 2 cockerels were bigger than her.

It would be interesting to know when your broody and her brood go their separate ways, if they do, so perhaps you will keep the thread updated @orelsi ?

 

[Squawkers]

perhaps you will keep the thread updated @orelsi ?

Please do!!!

 

[DobieLover]

sorry but the chook in the back

He's a cockerel. What did you expect.
The one right next to her was her daughter.

 

[DobieLover]

Update: it's 5 full months now, starting month 6. She's still clucking, giving them food and taking care of them.

She's a wacko! They will never learn to stand up for themselves.
(Can you tell I'm not a mother?)

 

[orelsi]

so perhaps you will keep the thread updated @orelsi ?

Please do!!!

Will do. I've never had such a case in all my chicken keeping years. I'll let you know at 6 months or when she finally gives up, if that comes first.

 

[fluffycrow]

Definitely not "normal" behaviour, but like everyone else has said, not a bad thing either! Over here with the few batches we've had, the chicks have been ditched at 5, all the way up to 12-14 weeks old.

Interestingly enough, when I first got into Oriental gamefowl, mothers tolerating and raising their chicks for over 6 months was considered relatively normal, or at least that's what I was told. Apparently, if the hens had a second batch at the end of summer, they'd keep those chicks all throughout winter, until their first batch the next spring

Please keep us updated on this wonderful, yet odd mother hen!

 

[SkyAJK]

Mother hen is still taking care of her chicks, now juveniles, clucking, guarding then, staying with then all the time after 4 months. Entering month five today. The cockerel started crowing a couple days ago and yet he still follows her around and she clucks to him, finding him food, etc. the normal mother hen - chicks behaviour. It's the funniest thing I've seen. Never happened to me before. Has anyone else had this experience?

Pic is him.

That is one handsome and very lucky rooster child. Very lucky indeed!
2 of the mother hens in my flock were pecking their chicks to dead at just 5 weeks, they want to get back to their child free life. I am sadden for the chicks. I took over as their human mother.

 

[Mrs. K]

As a side note: Mrs Feathers, now Gramma feathers has raised two roosters this way, the first was absolutely awesome, the second is just now coming into his own, and so far, turning out nicely. He has been crowing for a while now, but still hangs out next to Mom. Even though she brooded 3 more chicks later in the summer.