[Possum]

One of our broody bantams has successfully hatched 6 buff sussex chicks. They are three weeks old now and we plan to rear them for the table. Since we don't want to become too fond of them    we are planning to keep them in the orchard, away from the rest of the layers. The chicks seem to be finding their own food now and are partially feathered. When would be the best time time to take the bantam away from them and return her to the flock?

[CameronS]

For me, if i've had a broody hen rearing them, I usually leave them together un-till she naturally starts to move away from them and they become more independant. i would probably move the whole group - ie mum and babies to the oprgard and remove her at around 5/6weeks.


maybe just me. i've just started letting my 5weeks old chicks free range but am taking them in at night still.

[AndynJ]

I allow mum & chicks out day 6, back in main coop/shed when they are ready, never take mum away as my opinion is mum protects young from other chickens/rats cats etc
Only feed our chicks crumbs for the first week after that they are on layers

[Rosemary]

Funny, I was reading about this very thing on the Poultry Club of GB site yesterday. The advice there was to remove the hen after four weeks but to keep the chicks where they are.

[Bodger]

The truth is that there isn't a hard and fast rule. There's not a problem if you keep the broody with the chicks until they are a few months old and as for mums getting overly fond of their charges? I'm afraid that you're applying human traits to poultry that they just don't have.

[Possum]

No, it's alright Bodger. We are worried that WE will get too fond of the young hens if they are with the main flock. The flock (all four of them) free range in a grassy/shrubby area at the back of the house so we spend quite a lot of time with them during our daily activities. We haven't raised chickens for meat before so thought that despatching them would be easier for us if we only saw them two or three times a day.


Fortunately, all of the advice given should work quite well. The chicks are already in the orchard with the broody hen. I will take her away at 4 weeks to see how she reacts. If she gets distressed I could always put her back for another week.


Thanks for all the advice everyone.

[HesterF]

I've put a broody and her three chicks back in with the main flock when they were one month old. They've now been there a week (so they're five weeks old) and they spend less and less time with the broody. Certainly I had them free ranging on Sunday and the three chicks stayed within the run voluntarily whilst mum was out and about dust-bathing and generally grubbing. So splitting them at four to five weeks makes sense. Mind you, I've a nine week old duckling who is still convinced she's a hen and rarely leaves her broody's side (but she was a singleton hatch).

H

[chrismahon]

We split ours at 6 weeks and then put the broody in a pen alongside the main enclosure to get her re-integrated and reconditioned, as she will need building up. We have put a hen straight back in and she was so badly beaten up she never regained her confidence.