Broody hen killing baby chicks

[WVduckchick]

And how many acres is that yard? If my memory serves me you quite a lot of land.

That's all on about 1/2 an acre. They stay (mostly!) within my fenced area of my property.

 

[Shadrach]

That's all on about 1/2 an acre. They stay (mostly!) within my fenced area of my property.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I mean chicks that have had their mother killed by a predator.
Is one breed smarter than another? I think they adapt as each new generation hatches. It's how previously domesticated chickens create successful feral colonies.
Breed does play a role but, here we go again 'studies have shown' that there really isn't a lot of difference between the basic instincts of 'domesticated' breeds and their feral ancestors.
I don't incubate with an incubator here. All the chicks are hatched by a broody hen.

Intelligence would be debatable I suppose. Some breeds are definitely more wary and better at evading predators.
I have a serious question though. If you find your way of doing things not working out (loss of chicks) why not change something or help them out in various ways? After all your birds aren’t feral. You have coops for them. It’s like you want them to be feral and do everything naturally yet be as tame a dog?

 

[roosterhavoc]

I have 24 chickens (a trio of adults with 7 chicks, plus a trio of young d'Uccles, plus 11 young cream legbars) running around loose in my yard. Along with 2 small dogs, and 32 ducks (18 of which are ducklings under 3 weeks old). Not all of them have mommas watching over them.

32 ducks!!! I couldn’t do it!

 

[Shadrach]

Intelligence would be debatable I suppose. Some breeds are definitely more wary and better at evading predators.
I have a serious question though. If you find your way of doing things not working out (loss of chicks) why not change something or help them out in various ways? After all your birds aren’t feral. You have coops for them. It’s like you want them to be feral and do everything naturally yet be as tame a dog?

Interesting question.
You know how breeders breed for certain characteristics based on looks mostly, well I'm doing something similar in attempting to see how quickly previously domesticated chickens gain the ability to fare semi feral.
You've misunderstood the tameness. They are far from tame with any other human being.

 

[WVduckchick]

32 ducks!!! I couldn’t do it!

Tiny ducks!! Calls.

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

I'm going to get in to trouble for this but............
Walk away. Let her do what she feels she has to. Finish off the job if she doesn't quite kill them all and never let her sit again. Thousands of chicks get killed every day. They die in the post, get thrown into mincing machines at hatcheries, get eaten by predators, killed by human mismanagement.
I'm sorry, I know it's extremely distressing. I've had two baby killers here. If you 'rescue' the chicks that you believe have no obvious damage, then what? The hen will not accept them at some later stage. Next, if she has been attacking the chicks even those that look to be okay may well have injuries that will not become apparent until later.

In my opinion that’s extremely wrong. If you can do something to help them why not do it?

And referencing the egg and meat industry, we’re backyard chicken keepers we’re not apart if the industry. In fact I’m actually vegan, besides eating the eggs that come from MY birds, specifically because of how horrible the industry is. As well as the fact that meat is not a necessity and there’s no way to humanely kill something that doesn’t want to die.

 

[Shadrach]

Tiny ducks!! Calls.

Your 'yard' picture seems to have disappeared.
I wouldn't have called that a yard. The picket fence wouldn't keep a chicken in.
Basically that looks like a free range setting. If the chickens stay inside the fence boundaries it's because that's where they feel safe, not because they can't get out.

 

[Keeperofmunchkins]

Thank you everyone. So far I got one baby chick I think just in time. Momma pecked the side of her head pretty good. But I have chicken ointment I put on it. Gave her a couple of drops of water with probiotics from my finger. She seems to be coming around. I have her next to my bed with a heat lamp to check on her. I just returned back with a second baby chick wet and unharmed. Looks like another will be hatching within the hour as well. View attachment 1826666

I'm so glad you were able to save some! It's a shame the won't be able to stay with their mother but they will likely do just fine without her.

When hens sit on eggs they follow instinctive behaviour impulses to hatch the eggs and will readily attack any animal that comes toward their nest - including another hen's chicks. Then during the hatching process their minds gradually switch over from incubating mode to mothering mode and they start following different instincts. They will recognise their chicks as something to protect whilst still defending the nest against outsiders. The end of the change of 'mode' is when they leave the nest, even if it means abandoning unhatched eggs.
I believe that hens who kill their chicks fail to begin or complete the transition into the second 'mode' and therefore still see the chicks as intruders while, in their mind, they are still defending their eggs. I suspect it could be hormone related.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Interesting question.
You know how breeders breed for certain characteristics based on looks mostly, well I'm doing something similar in attempting to see how quickly previously domesticated chickens gain the ability to fare semi feral.
You've misunderstood the tameness. They are far from tame with any other human being.

The only way I see for a group of chickens to become a feral colony would be to release a whole bunch and remove as many predators as possible before during and for a long time afterwards to allow them to get a foot hold. I don’t see you doing that so I’m kinda confused about your goals.
A lion at the zoo that was raised in captivity can only be handled by a select few. That doesn’t mean they’re wild enough to release back into the wild and will survive.