Dont need Mother

[Mrs Sparkle]

I have noticed over the past few days that my chicks are having nothing to do with the mother anymore they used to sleep together and move around the garden in a group.Mother is now on her own most of the day in the garden and goes to bed in a different part of the green house than her offspring. Is this normal? The Ckicks are about 3 and a half months old. 1 cock and 3 hens.

[Mell]

Has she gone broody ? Yes quite often they will split into groups & not be so Mum centric. I think most animals are confused now my goats are all in season !

[RichmondHens]

I think it's quite unusual for them still to be hanging around with mother hen at this age, unless they are the only hens you have, in which case mother is just part of the flock, rather than specifically "mother". Chicks can be independent of hens from as young as 6 - 8 weeks - broodies often start driving the chicks away deliberately at this point, especially if they are coming back into lay, so I separate mine then anyway, returning the hen to the main flock and growing the chicks on in a separate pen.

[Mrs Sparkle]

Could she be broody? She hasent started laying again yet.

[petal]

I reckon shes sick of the sight of them. I know how she feels.

[RichmondHens]

Possibly, but usually they lay a bit first (to produce their clutch of eggs) and then go broody. It's unusual for them to go broody without laying at all. If she is broody she will start walking around with her feathers puffed up and squealing loudly at any approaching chickens, also of course spending a lot of time sitting, either in the nestbox or in a secret site she has chosen. If she is still out and about most of the day then she is not broody yet.

I assume she seems well in all other respects? Sometimes chickens keep themselves to themselves when they are feeling ill or off colour.

[RichmondHens]

I reckon shes sick of the sight of them. I know how she feels.

Christmas cabin fever!!!!

[Mell]

If you haven't seen her lay, it might be she is laying elsewhere, as has been mentioned watch out for her dissappearing to sit.

[Mrs Sparkle]

I have just found a speckled egg in the old rabbit hutch. I assume it is hers, that would explain things.

[Nicos]

My chicks were independant of their mom from about 10 weeks. If she found something yummy to eat though, she'd still call them over . Now there's little interest at all although the siblings still sort of hang around in an open group.