Broody hen killed newly hatched chick?

[motorafung]

I have a first time broody hen which was sitting on several fertile eggs I put under her.

Yesterday was the day 21 and I found 1 died chick under her. The chick had opened around the top part of the shell but the rest of her body was still in a crashed shell.

I wondered if the hen stepped on the chick while she was hatching? Can that be possible?

She is still brooding now but I don't know if I sould try to get her some fertile eggs again.

Any suggestion? Or I should just wait until she gives up ?

 

[jomomma]

I came in here seeking help. I had a broody hen and a friend gave me 11 eggs that should have been fertile. After some issues with other hens and two eggs being broken, I put her in a dog crate with a nest box in a small run where my juvenile rooster spends his days.

A little earlier then expected, two chicks hatched today, I found their partially consumed bodies in the crate. I was sick over this. another egg was in the process of hatching so I took it and the other six eggs away from the hen. the egg completed hatching and I made a make shift brooder box, I am monitoring the temp and hope the other eggs hatch and this little orphan makes it.

Someone told me the hen may have been agitated by the rooster being so close outside her crate and that is why she killed and partially ate the two chicks, any advice on what to do would be appreciated.

 

[sumi]

motorafung: I'm sorry for your loss. It does happen sometimes that a hen will accidentally crush a hatching egg. It is unfortunate, but the egg becomes very vulnerable once the chick starts zipping the shell and if the hen at that stage shifts her position and the egg is under her breastbone, for example, she can easily break it unintentionally. That is why I try and fill broody boxes with something soft, to help cushion the eggs. It's not a 100% preventative, but it does help.

jomomma: I'm sorry to hear about your experience. That is awful! I suspect the rooster may have been the culprit here. I have seen other members of my flock kill and eat new chicks, though it's usually rare. I've never had a broody eat her own chicks, though it may be possible, but I'd put my money on the rooster first. I'd suggest removing him from the pen. Let the chicks complete the hatch, in an incubator or under the hen (if you can bring yourself to chance it) and give the hen a chance to raise the babies. Put the hatched one under her, very carefully, keep it covered with your hand when you do, so she doesn't peck it. Slip it under her wing and back off a little bit, then watch her for awhile to see what she does. Good luck and fingers crossed it will work out o.k.

 

[jomomma]

The rooster wasn't in the crate with the hen and her clutch. The dog crate with nest box is in the same small outdoor run but I shut her in when I put the young rooster out of the main run. I should have been more detailed.

The other hens torment him and he hides in the hen house and doesn't eat or drink unless he is safe. So each day I let the broody out of the dog rate to eat drink and take a dirt bath twice a day and when she goes back to set her clutch I close her in and put the rooster in the yard. He can't get into the dog crate.

I was horrified. I wanted to see if this hen could hatch and mother some chicks while my grand daughter is visiting so this is even more disturbing, I didn't tell her the "mother" ate the babies, just that she didn't know how to care for them and they died and that is why we had to save the other one.


He made it through the night in the brooder box but I don't see any of the other eggs trying to open and I wonder if they will.

This rooster is 18 weeks and hasn't even crowed yet......I am wondering if he is "all there".

 

[CAjerseychick]

Day 18 I came home to crushed eggs-- one had a pretty fully formed dead chick next to it (our nest boxes are large- we have Jersey giants) -- the other had about 1/2 of the shell off and the chick was shrink wrapped and there was a small cut that was bleeding (I think it was still alive but didnt think it stood a chance)-- I had been away at work for 3 days.....

Is it possible that your broody was consuming accidently broken eggs? They do do that to keep the nest area clean and so that the decomposing chicks dont breed bacteria that could affect the other eggs?Our hen did go on to hatch out 4 chicks (we lost one d/t an unfortuantly "getting stuck situation", while it was running around....).... but four healthy chicks did hatch out, she sat tight in that nest box for 3 days before coming down, the chicks hopped down 3 ft no problem....
And then I took out the remaining eggs-- two were bad, 2 were waay far behind in development (like a week or so behind).... The clutch of eggs was found in the bushes, we tried moving it to a dog crate (no luck, she wouldnt stay) so put them in the nest box she chose.
She has been a really good mama, and peckes out food for her chicks and takes them to the feeders and waterer and has been very careful to stay in either the covered chicken run or under our porch ramp that overhangs our larger chicken yard...

The other hens and Roo occasionally skirt by them (Roo did actually took a peck at a chick but didnt really attack, hes pretty young 12 months old and wont finish growing til next sptring or so, it seemed more like a curious "what is this" peck then anything)... the hen comes out flying at them very defensive- I cant reccommend a Broody mama enough--

SO I guess what I am saying is, try giving her the young chick at night while she is sleeping and then get up at dawn to see how she is taking to it....

Also on the Roo crowing, no worries-- once they start you may wish they would STOP! Mine has taken to crowing half the morning long starting at 5:30 am and then off and on ALL day, my neighbors (we are just outside the town borders) must want to Kill me, I was thinking of getting him partially decrowed he is so LOUD...

 

[jomomma]

While I was away two chicks hatched a little sooner then anticipated, like day 20 and a few hours. Both the chicks were fully formed, she disemboweled one and pecked out the eyes and opened the skull of the other and removed a leg....no it wasn't a case of a hen eating broken eggs.....it was the most horrible thing to find and I am so grateful I got out there to clear the carnage before my grand daughter saw it....she is not getting this baby back.

I put her back with the rest of the hens. I gave the young Roo his yard back and I am trying to keep the other six eggs warm and humid enough for a few more days to see if there is any hope for them. The hatchling is doing well. Pooped twice took a wee bit of sugar water out of a syringe and I made a broth of finely sifted Layer feed until I get to the feed store later to get proper chick food.

We call her orphan Annie, she is an ancona hen's egg fertilized by a Rhode Island Red Rooster, looks like an ancona coloring. One dead chick looked similar, the other looked like a RIR, all the eggs to hatch so far are white. Annie is from the smallest egg. She is a tough cookie.....

 

[CAjerseychick]

While I was away two chicks hatched a little sooner then anticipated, like day 20 and a few hours. Both the chicks were fully formed, she disemboweled one and pecked out the eyes and opened the skull of the other and removed a leg....no it wasn't a case of a hen eating broken eggs.....it was the most horrible thing to find and I am so grateful I got out there to clear the carnage before my grand daughter saw it....she is not getting this baby back.

I put her back with the rest of the hens. I gave the young Roo his yard back and I am trying to keep the other six eggs warm and humid enough for a few more days to see if there is any hope for them. The hatchling is doing well. Pooped twice took a wee bit of sugar water out of a syringe and I made a broth of finely sifted Layer feed until I get to the feed store later to get proper chick food.

We call her orphan Annie, she is an ancona hen's egg fertilized by a Rhode Island Red Rooster, looks like an ancona coloring. One dead chick looked similar, the other looked like a RIR, all the eggs to hatch so far are white. Annie is from the smallest egg. She is a tough cookie.....

sorry to hear this, it sounds unusual. My 2 chicka were fully formed (just eggs broken too early) and I do have an egg eating hen -- its how I found the clutch in the first place...... I guess I am lucjky to have a good broody (she showed up on day 14 and took over the nest when the other got off for her AM constitutionals for that day.... I am a great believer in chicken intsnct and lettign them do their own thing I guess....

 

[Tabasco Jack]

While I was away two chicks hatched a little sooner then anticipated, like day 20 and a few hours. Both the chicks were fully formed, she disemboweled one and pecked out the eyes and opened the skull of the other and removed a leg....no it wasn't a case of a hen eating broken eggs.....it was the most horrible thing to find and I am so grateful I got out there to clear the carnage before my grand daughter saw it....she is not getting this baby back.

I put her back with the rest of the hens. I gave the young Roo his yard back and I am trying to keep the other six eggs warm and humid enough for a few more days to see if there is any hope for them. The hatchling is doing well. Pooped twice took a wee bit of sugar water out of a syringe and I made a broth of finely sifted Layer feed until I get to the feed store later to get proper chick food.

We call her orphan Annie, she is an ancona hen's egg fertilized by a Rhode Island Red Rooster, looks like an ancona coloring. One dead chick looked similar, the other looked like a RIR, all the eggs to hatch so far are white. Annie is from the smallest egg. She is a tough cookie.....

Unfortunately, this happens with first time broodies sometimes. One of my easter eggers killed all six chicks she was hatching. But, the two barred rocks I had hatched their chicks with no problems. I've got one more still on the nest and the incubator warmed up just in case I have to rescue the eggs.
Mark that hen somehow so that if she goes broody again you can keep a close eye on her.

 

[sarajane]

I have a buff Orpington that just killed her newly hatched chick this am. So sad. Poor little thing was just laying there dead. I removed it but I'm scared for the other 2 that are left. Do I move them now or wait to see if she kills them too? So disappointed.

 

[hollycs]

This happened to me this morning as well. My Buff killed 3 newly hatched eggs. I would love to hear from you to see what happened to the rest of your eggs. Did any hatch? Any advice?