Do I have a really dumb bunch of chickens, or what?

[hedgehog]

I've kept hens and roosters for about 20 years. From time to time a hen will get broody. In twenty years, I think my hens have hatched a grand total of 20 chicks! The one hen who hatched four chicks insisted on perching with them overnight in the lilac bush. Some critter picked off the chicks one-by-one, then got the hen!

So, this summer, a little banty decided to sit some eggs. She's been at it since Labor Day. Generally, there is another hen sitting in the box with her; usually another banty. Now, I found the remains of two eggs that had hatched, but never found a sign of the chicks. Then a third egg hatched, but the chick ended up at the edge of the nesting box. I think it may have died from exposure.

So, does this banty just like sitting on eggs? Is raising a chick a learning process?

[Warpy]

1. I guess instinct only goes so far

and if they hadn't been raised by their own mother hens, they don't have a clue what to do with a chick after it hatches. Likely they died of starvation because Mom didn't have brains enough to feed them.

So yeah, they like sitting on eggs.

[LWolf]

2. My broody hens have hatched out 35 or 40 chicks in the last

5 years. Not every egg hatches. If eggs don't hatch within the time the hens' biological clocks dictate, they will abandon the nest. If an egg hatches late, after the hen has left the nest with the chicks, she doesn't accept the chick. If there is a problem with a chick, and it can't follow her when she leaves the nest, she'll abandon it.

My 2 broody hens are protective and do a good job raising the chicks. Not coincidentally, their maternal instinct turns off like a switch about the time the youngsters are fully fledged. Suddenly, they aren't protecting them any more, and will chase them off of food.

[happyslug]

3. I joked to my sister as we watch the local wild ducks and geese

The ducks are like chicken, they watch their chicks but are not to attentive of that duty. Most ducklings slowly disappear.

The Geese, on the other hand, watch their goslings carefully. The goslings go as a group with ALL parents watching all directions. Do not try to get near them, one of the Geese or Ganders will give a warning and off all them will go. As I walk my dog, all of the adults will keep an eye on the dog (and any other creature that MIGHT be a threat).

Compared to the Geese, Ducks are just hap hazard parents. Chickens are worse then Ducks (if that is possible and still have some sort of Mother-off spring relationship).