Claire Thompson
A hen will typically care for her chicks for around 5-8 weeks before returning to the flock, though some hens may care for their chicks for longer. During the incubation period, a mother hen will cluck and talk to her chicks inside the eggs before they hatch. After the chicks hatch, the hen will continue to care for them, offering them small grains and teaching them how to eat and drink. In rare cases, a mother hen may reject her hatchlings, particularly if she is brooding for the first time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time taken for chicks to hatch | 21 days, sometimes a day or two earlier for smaller chicken breeds |
| When the hen starts caring for the chicks | After the chicks hatch |
| How long does the hen care for her chicks | Around 5-8 weeks, sometimes longer |
| When does the hen stop caring for her chicks | When she starts getting aggressive towards them or when they are old enough and feathered enough to be by themselves |
| What to feed the hen and chicks | Small grains, chick crumbles, or high-protein unmedicated chick grain mash |
| What to do after the chicks hatch | Remove any shells or unhatched eggs from the nest and replace the bedding with fresh litter |
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What You'll Learn
A hen's care for her chicks begins before they hatch
A hen's care for her chicks begins well before they hatch. A hen that is committed to hatching chicks is known as a "broody". The state of being broody is controlled by instinct, hormones, and lighting conditions. Typically, a broody hen will lay a clutch of eggs, after which she will stop laying eggs and sit on them for about 21 days until they hatch. The number of eggs a hen can manage to keep warm is proportionate to her size. For instance, a bantam-sized hen can care for about 12 bantam-sized eggs, while a large fowl breed can handle 12 to 15 larger eggs.
Broody hens are known to pluck out their own feathers to line their nests, and they will often choose to nest in a coop box rather than a designated maternity ward. Moving a broody hen is best done at night to avoid upsetting her. After 18 days, the embryo begins to assume the hatching position and should not be moved. Contrary to popular belief, hens do not always remove bad eggs from the nest, and they sometimes continue to sit on rotten eggs.
In preparation for hatching, a hen will cluck and "talk" to her unhatched chicks, encouraging them to start pipping and hatch out of their eggs. On the day of hatching, the hen will handle all the details, including humidity, temperature, and egg-turning. After hatching, the hen will teach her chicks to eat and drink and protect them from harm. The behaviour of other hens towards the new mother and her chicks should be monitored, and they should be moved to an enclosure if there is any sign of hostility.
In rare cases, a mother hen may reject her hatchlings, especially if she is brooding for the first time. If this occurs, a surrogate must be prepared to care for the chicks. However, once a mother hen has hatched her chicks, she will instinctively know how to care for them. As the chicks grow, the mother hen will gradually become less tolerant and will transition from mothering to being a guardian. Eventually, she will want to rejoin her flock, and the chicks will be left to become more independent.
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The number of eggs a hen can care for depends on her size
A hen typically stays in the nesting area longer than usual, only leaving for a moment to lay eggs. The duration of time a broody hen spends on her nest may vary depending on her degree of broodiness. While brooding, hens can become aggressive and produce sounds like hissing and howling. Brooding hens also experience a decrease in food intake and weight loss.
After the chicks hatch, the hen will continue to care for them for around 5 to 8 weeks before returning to the flock. During this time, the hen will provide warmth and teach the chicks how to eat. The chicks will also receive food from their natural yolk sac, which provides nourishment for up to 72 hours after hatching. It is important to provide a safe space for the hen and her chicks, free from predators and with the right temperature to prevent the chicks from dying in the cold.
Incubation periods vary depending on the breed of hen, but typically last about 21 days. Smaller chicken breeds may hatch a day or two earlier. After day 18 of incubation, the embryo assumes the hatching position and should not be moved. The hen will cluck and "talk" to the chicks inside the eggs before they hatch, encouraging them to start pipping and hatch out of the egg.
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A hen will usually care for her chicks for 4-8 weeks
The timing can vary depending on the hen, and some hens may care for their chicks for longer. In some cases, hens may not want to leave their chicks and will continue to care for them until they are older. However, on average, a hen will care for her chicks for around 4-8 weeks.
After the chicks hatch, it is important to remove any shells or unhatched eggs from the nest and replace the bedding with fresh litter. Chemical-free wood shavings are ideal for this purpose. It is also important to provide the hen and chicks with clean, fresh water in a shallow container that is appropriate for the chicks' age. Additionally, the feeder and water in the brooding pen should be low enough to the ground so that the young chicks can reach the food and water.
In rare cases, a mother hen may reject her hatchlings, especially if she is brooding for the first time. If this happens, you will need to set up a brooder and care for the chicks yourself. However, most mother hens will instinctively know how to care for their chicks and will do so diligently for the first few weeks of their lives.
Overall, a hen will typically care for her chicks for 4-8 weeks, providing them with the love and attention they need to thrive.
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A hen may become aggressive towards her chicks before leaving them
A hen will typically care for her chicks for around 5 to 8 weeks before returning to the flock. During this time, it is important to leave the hen and her chicks to their own devices as much as possible. Interacting with the hen too much can interfere with her hormones, causing her to become aggressive.
Indeed, some hens may become aggressive towards their chicks before leaving them. This behaviour is often observed during the weaning process, when the chicks are around 7 to 8 weeks old and fully feathered. At this point, the hen may start chasing her chicks and attempting to jump on them. While this behaviour can be distressing to observe, it is a normal part of the weaning process, and the hen is unlikely to physically hurt her chicks. It usually takes 3 to 4 days for the chicks to understand that they are now independent.
If the hen has a history of aggression towards other adult hens, there is a risk that she may become too aggressive towards her chicks. In this case, it may be necessary to isolate the hen and her chicks for their safety, preferably somewhere they can still see and be seen by the rest of the flock.
It is important to note that an aggressive hen rarely indicates that she will be violent or aggressive towards her chicks. In fact, aggressive hens often make the best protective mothers, as their higher position in the pecking order means their chicks will be well-respected.
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A hen can reject her chicks, requiring a surrogate mother
A hen can stop caring for her chicks if she becomes slightly aggressive towards them. She may also abandon developing eggs before they hatch, kill chicks as they hatch, or abandon them after they hatch. In such cases, a surrogate mother hen is required.
A broody hen can be used as a surrogate mother for day-old chicks. The process of grafting chicks to a broody hen is simple: wait until she is asleep and tuck the chicks underneath her. She will wake up in the morning and take care of them. This method only works with chicks younger than five days old, as they will imprint on her until then. It is recommended to keep a close watch on the behaviour of the surrogate hen and the chicks, as either could reject or abandon the other without warning.
To prepare a hen to be a surrogate mother, one can wait until she goes broody and give her about a week, leaving eggs under her (they don't have to be fertile, and they don't even need to be eggs—balls or smooth stones will work). After a week, one can buy baby chicks or hatch chicks in an incubator and then move them under the hen once they are completely dry and starting to get active.
It is important to note that not all hens are suited to be mothers. Some breeds that are unlikely to brood include Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes, production layer breeds, and hybrids such as Leghorns and sex-link layer breeds. A hen that is broody will lay a clutch of eggs, then stop egg-laying and sit on them for about 21 days until they hatch.
Surrogate mother hens are excellent incubators and are much better chick parents than humans. They gladly hatch and parent other poultry species as well.
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Frequently asked questions
A hen typically cares for her chicks for around 5-8 weeks before returning to the flock. However, the timing varies depending on the hen, and some hens may care for their chicks for longer.
In rare cases, a mother hen may completely reject her hatchlings, especially if she is brooding for the first time. If this occurs, you will need to set up a brooder and care for the chicks yourself.
You may notice that the hen becomes slightly aggressive towards her chicks, pecking at them to get them to leave. At this point, you should return her to the flock.
After a hen stops caring for her chicks, they will need to be kept separate from adult birds until they are around 16 weeks old. They will require age-appropriate grower crumbles, as well as green feed, probiotics, and vitamins.
