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[QuailHollow]

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[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I'm not sure but I think if you change your subject line to "hen eats 1/2 of a chick, need advice" or something like that, you may get more response and help. SO sorry

That sounds awful to have to walk into and see. All I can think of is something was wrong with the baby and the hen knew that and put it out of its misery? Not sure...no broody hens YET.

 

[Jarhead]

I agree with Hangin wit my peeps. Many animals will kill a weak or lame offspring. That way there is more to go around for the healthy ones, plus lame and sick attracts predators. Survival of the fittest. Natural behavior.

 

[swtangel321]

I think it might have something to do with the time between chicks !!! Not sure but...... A lot of broodys will leave the nest after 3ish days to teach there chicks !!! I'm surprised she kept sitting that long !!! Glad her other chicks made it !!!

Maybe she was in mama mode and the chick that hatched was a threat !!!

 

[QuailHollow]

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[swtangel321]

Quote:
Since you mentioned it - I had been thinking along the same lines. She wasn't necessarily 'sitting' anymore. I think the eggs just happened to be there, and it was convenient. Otherwise, she'd been off that nest days ago. I have the peeps in a kind of brooder pen with their mother to protect them from the other hens (for now). I do think she really stopped the pattern of broody egg sitting about 3 or 4 days ago.

Yah I would guess that's the reason !!!! B/c she's a good mama you said !!!! If she was a chick killer she would of killed them all as they hatched, I would think !!!! So that would be why I would think to much time between them !!! Week old chicks and 1 day old chicks big difference !!! Sorry for the loss... Next time I would mark the eggs so you know they are all close to each other !!!!

 

[Chickenaddict]

This has happened to me 2 times with broodies, first time was a staggered hatch shared between two broody hens, once the first baby hatched the one hen tried to protect it while the other ripped it to shreds. Second time was just recently when 3 hens decided to go broody almost the same time. I put 10 eggs under one hen and 5 eggs under another due to hatch within days of each other. The one with 10 eggs hatched all her chicks (baby seramas) and did really well with them, 2 days later one of the chicks under the hen with 5 eggs hatched so i took that chick which was a cochin baby and put it in with the other hen, at the time she took it right in and kept it warm under her, the next morning the chick was shredded. out of the 5 eggs under one broody only 2 eggs made it to full term uncluding the chick that was killed. I kept the lone cochin baby with its mama and left the other one to raise her 10. Lesson learned!

 

[QuailHollow]

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