Looking for some advise. We had our bantam Amerucana go broody and was sitting on 6 eggs. She hatched out 2 babies a week ago and has been an excellent mother. While she took to the new chicks one of our silkies sat on the rest of the eggs for her. 2 have hatched over the last 2 days and our silkie is now mothering the new babies as well as sitting on the last 2 eggs. The problem is, if the new chicks leave the silkie, our Amerucana pecks them quite aggressively. I know I need to separate them but am worried about the reintroduction as I have 8 hens and 1 rooster who have all gotten along marvelously until now. Should I just move the silkie, 2 new chicks and 2 remaining eggs or just give all chicks and eggs to the silkie? I don't particularily want to have to have 3 separate living quarters
I'd just move either the silkie and her eggs/chicks or the Ameracuana and her two chicks until the Silkie hatches the other out. Then, I'd put them back and see what happens. The chicks should be safer if the Silkie isn't restricted to the nest sitting on eggs. If it still looks like the chicks are getting pecked, then two sets of living quarters may need to be kept until the get big enough to get out of the way or hide from the more aggressive birds. I have seven chicks that will need to be integrated when they get a bit bigger. I only have four full grown hens, but I still expect there to be some squabbling until it all gets settled.