broody again???

[chickadoodle]

Hi
My broody has an 8 week old chick. She restarted laying one egg a day about 2 weeks ago. Now she stays in the broody box for the majority of the day. The chick comes out alone.
When another hen was broody last year she let us know she wanted to rejoin the flock by pecking the chicks and flying at the wire door.
This current one pecks you if you go near her but makes no attempt to leave the box and has now stopped laying. When she does venture out she fronts up the other hens on the other side of the wire!
Any ideas appreciated.
Thankyou.

 

[Frenchchickens123]

Hi, sounds just like my bantam!! She hatched 3 chicks and at 4 weeks old she abandoned them to lay a few eggs and return to the nest to sit! I was quite surprised and disappointed she didn't stay with them longer. Another hen has just abandoned her 2 chicks too at 4 weeks old but not broody again. They were all first time mums and am wondering if this is the problem. My bantam is being allowed to sit on two eggs, if they hatch I'm hope she will stay with them until they are ready to be left. I now have a hen who hatched 1 chick sleeping with all the chicks so she has 6 altogether was your broody a first time mum too?? I wouldn't worry too much all the abandoned chicks go throughout the day on their own with no hen looking after them and they are doing great, would be nice to see them still with mum, never mind maybe next time...

 

[chickadoodle]

Hi
Yes she was a 1st time mum. She is definately broody again although she is still protecting the chick which is now 8+ weeks.They snuggle up together at night. I won't be putting any more eggs under her as it is quite late in the season. I hope she remains ok with the chick for a few months longer then they can both go back into the flock at the same time. Fingers crossed!

 

[chrismahon]

Shouldn't let a hen brood until she is two years old says my old book 1918 'Poultry for the Many'. We let our 15 month old buff Orpington hatch a 10 egg clutch. She was fine. We even had to keep lifting her off the nest to keep her legs from seizing up (an Orpington problem). Came hatch time and we heard chicks and then nothing. After two days we lifted her off the nest to discover that, as the chicks had hatched, she had eaten them. There was one without a head and 4 eggs left which went straight into the incubator. One hatched and a lovely hen she is too.
Hens usually lose interest in their chicks at around 8 weeks. We separate ours at 6 weeks and let the hen familiarise herself with the flock for a week before putting her back in. Otherwise she may be attacked as an intruder.