Hi BYC Community,
My head hen went broody & I grafted chicks to her. At 2 weeks she moved them into the hen house (Omlet Eglu Cube) with my one other hen. At five weeks she stopped mothering them and would nip at them to get them to leave her alone. Now both she and the other hen chase and peck at the 6 week old chicks (a lot). My 6 girls (2 adults, 4 pullets) are in a 9ft x 15ft x 6ft run that has bushes/shrubs, roosting poles, grazing boxes, dust bath, mirrors, shade & sun - lots of various activities to keep them entertained and enough space for all/places to "get away".
With my first flock, my head hen waited until everyone was in the coop before she went it for the night. She taught her babies this too, but now they are afraid of her and the other hen (because they get pecked when they go in the coop) and so they don't go in until it's almost completely dark. She is frustrated because they won't go in, but then when they finally do she pecks at them and there are a lot of cries/screams as they get pecked jostling to figure out where to sleep. Please help, I don't know what to do. Should I separate the chicks and reintroduce when they are older? Let nature do its thing? Anyone else have an experience with a Broody who raised chicks and then stopped mothering? I can't find any articles about what to do "post-broody/mothering."
I have a small backyard in Southern California, so a second coop & run isn't an option. I could move the chicks to the garage at night if you think it's best.
Thanks!
My head hen went broody & I grafted chicks to her. At 2 weeks she moved them into the hen house (Omlet Eglu Cube) with my one other hen. At five weeks she stopped mothering them and would nip at them to get them to leave her alone. Now both she and the other hen chase and peck at the 6 week old chicks (a lot). My 6 girls (2 adults, 4 pullets) are in a 9ft x 15ft x 6ft run that has bushes/shrubs, roosting poles, grazing boxes, dust bath, mirrors, shade & sun - lots of various activities to keep them entertained and enough space for all/places to "get away".
With my first flock, my head hen waited until everyone was in the coop before she went it for the night. She taught her babies this too, but now they are afraid of her and the other hen (because they get pecked when they go in the coop) and so they don't go in until it's almost completely dark. She is frustrated because they won't go in, but then when they finally do she pecks at them and there are a lot of cries/screams as they get pecked jostling to figure out where to sleep. Please help, I don't know what to do. Should I separate the chicks and reintroduce when they are older? Let nature do its thing? Anyone else have an experience with a Broody who raised chicks and then stopped mothering? I can't find any articles about what to do "post-broody/mothering."
I have a small backyard in Southern California, so a second coop & run isn't an option. I could move the chicks to the garage at night if you think it's best.
Thanks!
