4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[missuscluck]

Hello all you chicken clevernesses

 

I have a question regarding my light sussex hens Betty and Marge.

 

Betty has been broody for a few weeks and is sitting on some hopefully fertile eggs. If anything hatches it should be about Saturday.

 

Marge (her housemate) has not really been able to make her mind up weather she is broody or not and had taken to joining in on the nest box by sitting on Bettys head.

The scuffling resulted in a broken egg so we removed her into a seperate run.

She seems to have gone off the idea since we moved her and is going about her usual chicken business.

 

My question is when should I return her. Before the hatch? after the hatch? or not for some good while. What is she likley to make of the chicks. Has anyone any experiance of having another hen in with mum and chicks. What do you think?

[freckles]

We had the same dilemma and separated them altogether into a separate broody house. We had sort of partitioned our hen house with adjoining runs but our chick escaped through the mesh a couple of times when tiny and got in with the other hens and was very viciously attacked (but was ok!) so we had to completely separate them. Have just started letting them free range together and chick is 9 weeks. He/she is still keeping his/her distance from other hens (we still don't know what 'it' is but thinking boy) and there is the occasional scuffle!

 

Am at Marge sitting on Betty's head...they are funny aren't they!

[Lewis]

I'd aggree and leave her away for a while, she might not like them and attack them.

Leave it about 8 weeks, and then Mom might separate herself a bit more from the chicks, then really slowly introduce them together.

Really chicks shouldn't mix with adults until they reach POL at 18-22 weeks.

[missuscluck]

Just checked my eggs and I can hear cheeping in the eggs. So exited. I think we will have some baby chicks tommorow.

 

I have left Marge in her new quarters and she will be staying there for the forseeable untill the chickys are bigger.