Update on my hen who I thought would attack chicks..

[AthenasOwl]

I just wanted to let you know that 1 of my 2 hens is not a chick killer! I put a newly hatched, still slightly damp chick under her and she started to clean herself..I watched her and then she went to her breast and started to clean..then she saw the chick! She just started to gently clean the chick as if to try to get it dry! The hens name is "Cadbury" because she sounds like the rabbit just after laying an egg. I am so excited that she accepted the chick without question and has been a wonderful mother!

The hen is a buff orpington and the rooster is a 'easter egger.'

Thanks for all the help,
Colette

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm really glad for you. Some hens are more aggressive than others. I've found roosters to be nice around chicks, though low class roosters may chase chicks away from feeders. Still, I have a high class hen, Beauty, who raises her own chicks just fine but (we're guessing) killed off Eagle's (an Ameraucana's) chicks! Beauty is a Sebright, and they tend to be aggressive (at least mine are). Their chicks we called the Banshees because they were pretty nasty, eating the hatching chicks we put under them, crowing even though they were hens, and certainly very protective of their nests.
Beauty is broody again and thankfully Eagle isn't. At least not yet. We'll have to wait and see how things go. I'm certainly keeping a close watch on Beauty this time!

Good luck with your chickens!

 

[GitaBooks]

Here is the "Banshee" girl. She is half Silver Sebright and half Red Pyle Old English Game


This is Beauty, a Golden Sebright, with her two chicks. One white and one barred.

 

[AthenasOwl]

I had another hen who killed a couple of other chicks. I have to broody break her, as I do not trust her to not kill them. I hate walking into the coop with dead chicks, especially when I feel I could have done something to stop it.

 

[GitaBooks]

Yeah. It isn't fun.

Anyways, we built a chicken tractor and since we didn't use it outside we put it in our barn. Its about 10 x 10 ft or so and that is where I put by broodies until the chicks feather out. This protects them from the other chickens, getting lost, drowning in the water dishes, or getting taken by predators. I've recently started using and A-frame that some friends gave to us, since broodies tend to want to set at the same time as one another. This gives me two separate pens to work with.

 

[AthenasOwl]

What beautiful birds!! I would love to have a SeaBright! I think they are so very pretty. I have Buff Orpingtons, Easter Eggers and just purchased 4 black Sex Link and a Brahma chick. I pulled off sneaking the Brahma chick in with the other chicks, but the Black Sex link was an invader..so they are in their own little brooder as happy as can be. I have to admit, they all have a special place in my heart!

 

[GitaBooks]

I love my Brahmas too. I've always wanted one, since I was just a kid, and I finally got them. Two. Bubs (named after the breeds code) and Galadriel (because they are golden).

 

[AthenasOwl]

What a great idea! I have a fence where I put the brooders and chicks and then I bring them in our shower during the night..except Cadbury, which I am still figuring out how to proceed with her as this just happened. We have plans on building another coop, one that has a brooding area apart from the rest of the coop, but that is in the future. Lots of baby sitting and letting our dog outside.

 

[AthenasOwl]

My husband named his Brahma, Rowena because she is 'white'. My kids really like the Black Sex Link..they come running up to you and are very friendly and talkitive!

 

[GitaBooks]

I've never had a Black Star, but I hear they are very friendly, good egg layers and they also look very pretty. I love those that have bronze-red in the hackles. There aren't many breeds with a color like that.