Broody hen lost her baby?

[Sublight]

Make a Brooder for Hens to set and hatch out Chicks..If she feels threatened or stressed she might kill them to hide the evidence that they even existed ...More than likely the other killed and ate her Chick...

That is nuts! I had no idea.

 

[chickens really]

Sorry....Better luck next time.....

 

[chicklets81]

I had a bantam hen that went broody in early spring (April/May?). I made a mini-cage inside their coop. It was a rat/small animal cage that I made the sides clip off to open so I could put her in. (the clips had rounded parts so you just had to push the metal up and over the lip) During the end of her hatch, she broody hen got so irritated she was confined, she pushed open one of the sides and ran out of the coop to get outside to eat/drink, even though I had put food and water inside the cage. So, this broody hen busted out of her cage, leaving the side wide open for other hens to get in and peck. It seems to me that if I had used a stronger, bust-out proof cage, this may have made her mad, and would she retaliate by being aggressive to her babies?

 

[Sublight]

But there should have been bones or something even if the chickens ate it. Possibly a rodent got it?

 

[Shirley531]

I have a broody hen on day 21 of being broody. She sat on 2 eggs. At night on day 20, one of the eggs had a pip.

I work days, hubby works evenings, so he opens the chicken door after he wakes up later in the morning.

I forgot to tell him that it was hatching day, and to check on the broody hen in box.

I got home yesterday, around 5 pm, and the chickens were out, coop door open, with just the broody hen inside her nesting box in the coop. And much to my surprise, her 1st hatching chick was *gone*. There were egg shell pieces under her, and the 2nd egg that was starting to pip. But no sign of the 1st chick. The coop is elevated, with cinder block stairs. I checked all around coop, with no signs of a scared baby chick. What are the chances of the other hens *eating* a new chick? Or is it likely the chick ran off? There are no signs of baby chick body parts either...it seems to just be a big mystery. (to make this sad story worse, the 2nd egg pipped, but then died)the sad conclu

Any thoughts are appreciated. I thought hens kept their chicks close by, so I'm confused about why this chick went missing.

I'm sorry to say this but I've had two freshly hatched chicks eaten by another hen (two separate occasions). I can't say whether they were healthy or otherwise, but the sight of a chicken running around ripping apart a new baby is not something I'll forget.

 

[Shirley531]

But there should have been bones or something even if the chickens ate it. Possibly a rodent got it?

Not necessarily. Mine are fast enough to catch mice, and (see my comment below) behaved in exactly the same way with my newborn (s).

 

[FarmerMac]

But there should have been bones or something even if the chickens ate it. Possibly a rodent got it?

I had some chicks disappear in the past. Momma was still sitting on eggs and chick wondered out of the nest. The other hens peck it to death and then were chasing each other trying to take away the dead chick.

 

[chickens really]

Yeah....The little Chicks bones are soft...They would not leave the bones....

Sorry that happened.....

 

[chicklets81]

wow, its so crazy to read about this! I'm flabbergasted! I never knew chickens would eat the babies. Well, I guess you learn something new everyday! I've been doing chickens for 2 years now, and I guess I still have a lot to learn. Thanks for everyone's responses. I'm glad to learn about this, because I am determined to let my broody hen hatch her own chicks. Now I know I need to set up the crate.