I'm having a chicken- chick tale unfolding right now!

Recently (about 21 days ago) two of my hens went broody. Over the past 3 weeks, Fancy and Honey have been dedicated brooders. It wasn't planned of course, so I have no idea how many of those eggs they are laying on are actually fertile.

This is my first time having chicks, so I don't really know what to do. I'm worrying if I should get some heat lamps, etc. for the chicks when they arrive. My much more informed about chicken matters, DH tells me to just let them be and let nature take it's course.

Today, I was soooo excited when I heard chirping coming from the coop. I peek in there but I can't see anything, I can only hear there is chirping coming from under the hens.

A little while later, I hear noisy commotion out there. I run to see what's the problem. As I approach I see Fancy and Honey, the two brooders are squawking and flapping, freaking out really. As I get closer, I see a cute little orange chick is running towards them, chirping and they are freaking out, flapping and trying to kick the little chick away, as if they are scared to death of this little chick coming towards them! What??? So I pick the little chick up because I'm afraid for its life. Then I see another little, black and white chick is upsidedown, at the edge of the coop, kicking its little legs. OMG! It looks injured! So, by now, here comes hubby. He just arrived from out of town! The two hens are still screaming and carrying on, all of the rest of the flock have dissappeared, no where to be seen. I tell him the hens are acting like they are scared of the chicks!! ??

Fast forward, now the little chicks are in a container in the spare bedroom. Look how cute!!!

The two broody hens are back on the rest of the eggs?

Now, let's see how round two goes!

Please tell me it will get better! I've already decided they were unprepared for motherhood. Now the next hatchlings won't be as scary and soon everything will be okay and we can mingle those first two chicks back with the flock.

I tried googling something about chickens being afraid of their chicks... I couldn't find anything.

Here they were three days ago. All of the hens were hanging out in the coop with the brooders (except one hen, the crazy one that I can tell many crazy stories about).

I thought they were all being mother hens waiting for the magic moment when the chicks arrived. I also thougt they are making a big mess in the hen house!

I would separate one of the broodies from the rest of the flock and give her all of the eggs. Hens often attack other hens' chicks. Keep the chicks inside with a lamp for warmth. You may be able to reintroduce them after the other eggs hatch - if they soon do. Just put them under the hen at night.

Thank you Porkpal. This experience is very interesting. The brooders, Amaraucanas are probably only about one year old.

I have always enjoyed my hens. It's been less than a year since we've had the rooster. I'm really happy with him, although the hens might disagree.

I used to have all one breed, but the hawks took out most of my hen flock, except Tootsie. She's my only original hen, a New Hampshire Red. I've read that it's not good to mix chicken breeds. I have observered this to be true. Birds of a feather really do flock together.

I keep a mixed flock because people like a colorful variety of eggs. There are definitely breeds that are more aggressive and breeds that are meek. I get away with my mixture mainly because there are large numbers of each.

The little guys are so cute!

I agree Do people still dye them colors and sell them for Easter??

Not here. It is illegal to dye them now.

There is actually a technique by which they are dyed while still in the egg. I think it is allowed here.

Folks here dye their little white fluffy dogs for our Easter parade, which I find rather bizarre. I assume it is some sort of temporary thing but have never ventured an inquiry. I find the whole thing a bit repugnant. Just me.

porkpal said:There is actually a technique by which they are dyed while still in the egg. I think it is allowed here.

and the embryos aren't harmed??? I find it amazing what some people will do for a $

The in-the-egg dyeing was originally used for some sort of population study in wild birds and is apparently harmless.

that makes me feel better

Ten chicks have hatched. (The second one that I found laying outside didn't make it.) We now have them set up in the garage with a heat lamp in a big trough. It just seemed like a much better idea, just to eliminate all of the drama. Our hens are all free roaming during the day so it was going to be a problem keeping the chicks in the coop, they were chasing the non broody hens out, freaking them out too. Plus it was pouring down rain for three days.

This way it's less stressful for all of us.

I need to take some more pics, they are growing so fast! This was taken before we moved them to the trough. They were reaching for the light!

Oh, they are so cute. I hope the all grow up to be hens.

Are there any updates? We are waiting for one of our hens to go broody and we are going to do the same. Would love to hear some good news!

What kind of chickens do you have Joe, some of the newer chickens have the broodiness bred out of them. Some that still get broody are the Brahmans, Wyndotts, and Cochins. If you put one of these breeds that are laying eggs in a smaller pen with a rooster, and a nest, they will go broody when they fill nest. If that's not the eggs you want to hatch, you can switch them out. It's important that they lay the nest full of eggs though.

My broody-girl is a buff orpington.

The old style Buff Orpintons would go broody, some of the newer production types aren't as reliable.

My Buff Orpingtons are clearly of the old school.