Baby chick attacked by hen (photo attached)

[Iluveggers]

You might have bit of an over crowding problem. Chickens can get quite territorial during brooding times and appear to go nuts over the littlest thing. I had the same problem once and put a nylon puppy playpen in the coop and placed the chicks inside. I had one broody who was just an idiot when raising chicks. She'd steal other chicks, attack ones that would not follow her. So, I never let her brood again. The nylon puppy pen worked great for me and was a life saver for the chicks.

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Thanks. I have the hatchery chicks in something just like this! But momma also hatched these 3 a few days before the hatchery chicks arrived and was doing a great job at mothering them with no issues until today. I contemplated taking them away from her and brooding them all together, but for over two weeks not one issue. I have a large run, plus an 500ft extra fenced area off of it that I’ve let them out into every day from 7am til dark. So I hope that is enough space.

Some broodies don't tolerate other chicks in the area. Maybe it is instinct to keep resources for their own chicks. I'm not really sure. This might be connected to the first attack. Not sure about the next more serious attack. With the chicks being more grown maybe they they were at the food dish more?? Not sure I wouldn't call it normal behavior. What are your current temperatures? You may not need heat for the separated chick.

Yeah, the broody has been ornery. She is a terrible broody though, and lowest in the pecking order so I won’t let her hatch. I wonder if food was the second hens issue. I do have 3 food bowls out (plus the chick ones in the brooder), but I can definitely add a few more around their whole space to hopefully alleviate some of this. Daytime temps are in the 90s but night drops to about 65.

 

[Yardmom]

I've had chicks around 2 weeks not need heat at lower temps. They did have a cuddle buddy though.

 

[Iluveggers]

I've had chicks around 2 weeks not need heat at lower temps. They did have a cuddle buddy though.

Thank you! Maybe I’ll let the hatchery chicks go without the plate tonight.

 

[Iluveggers]

So I flipped a laundry basket upside down, and put two bricks on top. Set it right next to momma’s nest. Injured baby is in there and quiet. One of her siblings is sleeping with it’s head poking out looking at her. No more incessant peeping. I’ll put her back in the crate in the run tomorrow where she can see everyone.

I also rummaged through the basement and found a couple of old low plastic bowls. I’m going to add them to the feed offerings tomorrow, so there will be 6 feeding stations in the run and fenced area, plus two chick feeders in the playpen and one chick feeder in the coop for the babies. Hopefully that will help as well.

 

[Iluveggers]

Morning update: I observed how everyone came out today. Big hens came out first, right to the feed bowls. Mama hen and her two healthy babies were up on the roost! That was a surprise, as they were snuggled under her at dark. Mama came out next. Babies would not follow. They stayed inside and ate from the baby chick feeder I keep next to their nest. Mama realized they weren’t with her and called to them. The waited at the top of the ramp until the big hens went into the fenced yard, then came down to meet mama.

I moved the injured baby into her dog crate in the run. Checked her head. It looks like there is a scab around the feather line, and the rest is just skin. Seeing as how one of my dominant hens is about food (she pecks/chases my EE and Sussex if they try to eat out of her bowl), I think she must have done the same thing to this little one, but grabbed a bunch of delicate baby feathers and pulled too hard.

Mama and babies keep coming over to see the little injured one every 30 minutes or so. I’m so glad I don’t have to completely isolate her from everyone.

Question: When do you think she will be ok to put back? I don’t want her family pecking at the scab, but she seems fine otherwise. Poor little thing. She’s my favorite of the bunch, the only one who hatched from a blue egg.

 

[DottieGirl]

Oh wow, so sorry.

 

[Iluveggers]

So the story gets a bit crazier. Yesterday, my current broody finally came out of the nest. She decided to park herself next to the dog crate with the injured baby. All day, she tidbitted like a new mom, trying to give her food, which initially I thought was cute. She then proceeded to spend any moment she wasn’t at the injured chicks side chasing the other two chicks around and scaring them. Their mother was getting visibly upset.

I was a nervous wreck, constantly in and out of the house, until I made a plan. I decided to bring the crazy broody into the garage. I really didn’t want a chicken in the garage (caged off in an XL dog crate), but I was at my wits end. I waited til dark to move her, and that went uneventful.

This morning, there is peace and harmony in the flock. The babies are being slightly weaned by mama (she is venturing to the food bowl in the run without them…they have been avoiding it if any big hens are around). She still sleeps with them and they follow her in the bigger enclosed space, but they seem to be sticking more together than they are just to her.

Injured baby looks much better. Head is scabbed over quite well, and fuzzy new feather growth is starting. However, I tried to introduce her back to her mother and mama freaked out. So I thought, now what?

I decided to take a couple of the hatchery chicks out and put them in the small crate with her to see what would happen. They kind of stared at her head, but no one bothered her. So I put them back in their big pet tent in the run, and added her too, holding my breath.

I spent about an hour watching. Aside from an occasional peck on the head where the scab is (maybe 3 in an hour)? Everyone left her alone. She isn’t incessantly chirping. I obviously will keep checking, but having so many groups isolated and unable to mix was extremely stressful.

I am thinking about putting broody back on the bar tonight, but I might wait til Sunday at dark. I sat out on the patio just watching, and it was sooo peaceful. If it doesn’t go well with putting her back, I have an ad on CL. I hate to rehome a chicken, but I can’t have one causing so much stress to the entire flock and me. Fingers crossed the timeout will do the trick.