Aggressive/protective hen with chicks that aren’t hers

[candymarie77]

We have two chickens that hatched eggs. while they were broody we brought them into the house, but we had to separate them because hen A was attacking Hen B.

Hen A’s chick is now a week old and hen B’s two eggs hatched yesterday.
Anytime we go into the room hen A is aggressive even when we pick up the other chicks babies. Would it be possible to give her baby to the other hen? Or do you have any other suggestions. We would like to hold the chicks so they get used to us.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What's the reason for bringing them inside the house?

Broodies will often attack one another, other chickens and sometimes people when they have chicks. Anything that separates a Mother Hen from her chicks is a threat.

Put the broody hens outside with their own chicks in housing/runs that are secure and let them raise their babies.

Once the broodies settle in and the chicks get older you will have plenty of time to interact with the chicks and let them get used to you.

 

[candymarie77]

What's the reason for bringing them inside the house?

Broodies will often attack one another, other chickens and sometimes people when they have chicks. Anything that separates a Mother Hen from her chicks is a threat.

Put the broody hens outside with their own chicks in housing/runs that are secure and let them raise their babies.

Once the broodies settle in and the chicks get older you will have plenty of time to interact with the chicks and let them get used to you.

Last year when we had chicks is the run they all died. When we brought them in the house they survived. So we brought them in again.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Last year when we had chicks is the run they all died. When we brought them in the house they survived. So we brought them in again.

Oh, how sad!

Do you know what happened, how they died - was it disease/illness, predator, etc.?

Having 2 broodies can sure complicate things, even when they are outside and have plenty of space.

In the future, it may be best to let one sit and break the other if you happen to have more than one hen go broody. This way you don't have to deal with drama.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I have multiple broodies right now... Like literally 5 or 6 of them. They all react differently.

I have 2 broodies who have hatched out their chicks (1 & 2 chicks respectively). While they certainly don't LIKE me coming near their chicks, they don't attack me when I'm in the vicinity.

In a different coop, I had 3 hens sitting on different clutches.

One is actually sitting on duck eggs after she bullied a broody Pekin off her clutch.

The 2nd broody in this coop completely ignores me until I try to pick her up to check the eggs under her (and take the freshly laid eggs out). She goes bonkers and attacks me like she's a possessed harpy.

The 3rd is like the hens in the first coop. She clucks in outrage but doesn't attack. She hatched out 3 chicks two days ago. Today I discovered that a completely DIFFERENT hen has decided to take over the 3rd broody's chicks and claim them as her own. The minute I even walked in the coop, the thief broody went on the attack...causing the original momma to pace in anxiety trampling the chicks in the process.

I swear I need to start walking around with a tennis racket.