Hen Randomly Chasing Own Chicks

[FalseToast]

Not sure if this is the place to put this, but oh well.

Strange thing happened today. It’s nice out so I let my hen and her chicks outside for a bit. Rooster came over, which is normal, but then she started attacking and chasing her chicks? It was so sudden! She grabbed one by the tail and held it off the ground and grabbed another by the wing doing the same. I managed to separate the babies back into where I had them and the hen just completely abandoned them within 5 minutes. The chicks called out for her but she never even turned her head while eating with the rooster.

Anyone have an explanation?!

 

[nuthatched]

How old are the chicks?

 

[FalseToast]

How old are the chicks?

They hatched Nov. 1st.

 

[fluffycrow]

They hatched Nov. 1st.

One month old is not terrible, she's done, it seems! In her eyes, she's taught them everything they'll need to survive growing into adults, her work is done

 

[FalseToast]

One month old is not terrible, she's done, it seems! In her eyes, she's taught them everything they'll need to survive growing into adults, her work is done

She seemed to have decided their life was done too! She genuinely wouldn’t stop pecking and grabbing at them. It was interesting.

 

[fluffycrow]

She seemed to have decided their life was done too! She genuinely wouldn’t stop pecking and grabbing at them. It was interesting.

Some girls are more violent about it than others, yes

 

[nuthatched]

They hatched Nov. 1st.

She's weaning them, she wants them to leave her alone now. It dose look rough.

 

[aart]

Not sure if this is the place to put this, but oh well.

Strange thing happened today. It’s nice out so I let my hen and her chicks outside for a bit. Rooster came over, which is normal, but then she started attacking and chasing her chicks? It was so sudden! She grabbed one by the tail and held it off the ground and grabbed another by the wing doing the same. I managed to separate the babies back into where I had them and the hen just completely abandoned them within 5 minutes. The chicks called out for her but she never even turned her head while eating with the rooster.

Anyone have an explanation?!

Had the hen and chicks been integrated with the flock prior to this incident?
Weaning of chicks can appear brutal, but this sounds extreme.

 

[SueT]

I have a hen that weaned a singleton chick at 4 weeks. But her most recent batch this year, she kept until 3 months! But yeah, all of a sudden she can’t stand them anymore. One day they are spoiled royalty, the next day she was chasing them, grabbing them, pulling feathers.
I opened the gate between their area and the main flock, and she walked thru, never looking back.
This time I kept them segregrated from the main flock, tho they could see them. Because a previous group eventually left the little coop and all moved into the main coop. I don’t want this group to do that.

 

[FalseToast]

Had the hen and chicks been integrated with the flock prior to this incident?
Weaning of chicks can appear brutal, but this sounds extreme.

Yeah! Hen has been around my rooster since she was a chick—my rooster is normally a sweetheart with chicks, but can also be a dick, as expected. Hen’s chicks have also somewhat been around my rooster and turkeys before too.

If it’s just weaning, that’s okay! I moved the babies into a brooder with four older silkie chicks I have and they’re all doing perfectly fine. First time I introduced them they took to each other like they’d always known each other, it was super cute to watch! Since we’re in the colder months, and they’re about a month old, didn’t want to leave them outside. Canada isn’t merciful.