Fall brooding? Story and questions

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My hen and her brood were given free range ever since day 1. Still have all 5 and haven't had any issues with both the roos regarding the chicks, in-fact Peep-Peep has been the perfect big brother to them. :)

A good big brother.png

And here is mama hen dustbathing with her brood, with their dad joining them by the end. ^^
 
I only have one hen that ever goes broody, and she does it year-round. September 1st, three of my chickens were killed by some wild animal, and I just happened to have a couple eggs laid by one of those hens and fertilized by the rooster that was killed. I stuck those eggs under the broody hen (a Cochin/Rosecomb mix) and one of the eggs just hatched on the 22nd! Little chick is growing up with the flock just fine. I was worried at first that it might get too cold this winter before she gets big enough to withstand it, but who am I kidding? I live in Georgia, it's not like we're gonna drop below 80 by Christmas anyways!
 
I resisted the chicks at Tractor Supply in the spring, but when another batch showed up in August, I did not resist. I bought six chicks, the minimum, went home and slid them under our broody Splash Orpington "Joy", who I still consider a baby because shes from last year, our first chickens ever. In the morning she had an entire Family! She was like "Oh my goodness, they really hatched!" She was sitting on no eggs. I tried keeping her confined under the coop, which was partially boarded in on two sides, but she quickly flew over the dog ex-pen I used for confinement, and took the babies wherever she wants in the yard. There are six hens with her, one of which she allows to talk to chicks and interact, the Queen chicken actually. But no one bothers her chicks because she's like a viscous attack dog. She has taught all others to give her babies space or else. I have seen one chick tardy while leaving the tractor with a hen entering the tractor, and that chick did get pecked untill she made her getaway. The family has its own mini-coop, but that needs expanding now.
I need to know how long she will guard them and mother them? They were hatched about a week before the Eclipse, so I think they're six or seven weeks. My husband us leaving for work, so I need to know if more fences need building, or will they just integrate when bigger, since they all live together now.
 
Day 21 for my broody Sebright....the eggs are hatching-- I went in this morning and saw her pecking gently at something not under her, ran and got a flashlight and there was a tiny black chick out in the hay. Cold and limp. Totally fluffed out. It's cold this morning, 47º . I thought, well, it's dead and she pushed it to the side. I took it in my hand and felt it move! I have it inside on a heating pad (on low). It has been opening its beak and moving slightly. I keep touching it to stimulate it. I keep checking on the broody, then on this chick. I don't know if she'd push the others out....I did get a glimpse of one unhatched egg. There were 3 all together. Dutch bantams, this chick is tiny.
 
SueT said:
Day 21 for my broody Sebright....the eggs are hatching-- I went in this morning and saw her pecking gently at something not under her, ran and got a flashlight and there was a tiny black chick out in the hay. Cold and limp. Totally fluffed out. It's cold this morning, 47º . I thought, well, it's dead and she pushed it to the side. I took it in my hand and felt it move! I have it inside on a heating pad (on low). It has been opening its beak and moving slightly. I keep touching it to stimulate it. I keep checking on the broody, then on this chick. I don't know if she'd push the others out....I did get a glimpse of one unhatched egg. There were 3 all together. Dutch bantams, this chick is tiny.
Click to expand...

Keep us UTD throughout the day, if you can, please! And pics!!!!!
 
The chick is recovering, it seems. I've still got it inside on a heating pad. I went out to coop and heard another chick under broody....She looked under, then settled down. So maybe she'll be okay, and take this one back. I'm waiting to see how it goes with #2, and if there's a #3.
 

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