New Mother or Bad Instincts?

[rachelisneat]

Our veteran foster mommy hen, (a very spicy barred rock), was killed jumping into the neighbor’s yard last fall (dogs ); but when one of our 2 yr olds, a Speckled Sussex started sitting about a month ago, I thought we’d be ready to get her some day-old chicks.
We introduced the hatchlings over spring break, and probably made some mistakes- all of my nieces and nephews are over so babies were handled way more than normal. Maybe left a scent on them? Also, in town with a max of 6 (or a couple more of no one’s looking!) we got the last few chicks from our local farm store one day apart, 2 probably born on a Tuesday, and the third a day later. So anxious to let her bond with them that we brought them out midmorning. And it did not go well!
Instead of hearing all the mothering sounds, she did her defensive pose, and threatening growl at them. But only when she could see them, not when they were under her wings.
So we separated them, and she spent the next day stalking around their enclosure, very fussed!! I was spending more time watching our hen outside the chick enclosure. She seems to have some mothering instinct, but some bad behavior.
We had brought the chicks inside and I decided to bring in the ‘mommy’ to give them some oats; this was the first time she was speaking appropriately to the chicks, showing them the food, how to peck, and doing the ‘come eat this’ cluck.
It also seems her siting instinct is pretty solid, I have put her in the chick area after everyone goes to bed, and she sits on the babies at night. But I have been pulling her back out during the day. What I am unsure about (now that she isn’t in attack mode) is her poor communication, she can’t seem to call them to come under her wings, they wander about until I put them under her at night, and she doesn’t seem to know when to have them come out and about. Basically, that she would starve them confuse them or maybe turn on them again?!?
They are right outside the back door so I don’t mind being (maybe excessively) hands on for a little, but I am mostly just guessing, and would eventually like to decide if she’s raising the chicks or I am

 

[Yardmom]

You have a lot of things going on. This hen might make a great broody in the future. The human "interference" is definitely changing how things would have naturally occurred. Every time you separate them you not only weaken the mothers instincts, but also the chicks instincts. Chicks learn to go between food, water, and heat in a brooder. I would suggest If the chicks are not in danger leave them be to find the food, water and the mom as a heat source.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

It’s not that she is a bad mom or that she has no mothering instincts. It’s the way you went about. Would you say a woman is a bad mother if you just walked up to her, handed her a random baby, then took it from her arms walked away and then walked back put it back in her arms and told her it’s now her responsibility to take care of it? No that’s not how it works and that’s essentially what you did to this hen. Now if you have a woman who is wanting to be a mother, agrees to take the child in and you leave it with her without taking it away from her randomly then there is a very high chance she will bond and accept the child. You need to wait until a broody hen is setting at night, slip the chicks under her and allow them to bond without bothering them for a few days.

 

[rachelisneat]

You have a lot of things going on. This hen might make a great broody in the future. The human "interference" is definitely changing how things would have naturally occurred. Every time you separate them you not only weaken the mothers instincts, but also the chicks instincts. Chicks learn to go between food, water, and heat in a brooder. I would suggest If the chicks are not in danger leave them be to find the food, water and the mom as a heat source.

Thanks, I know we’ve been giving her the runaround; I appreciate the distinction that she is not currently a threat. They all seem to prefer being together, even if it looks different than our last broody/hatchlings. I will keep an eye out but let them give family life a go!