cannibal chicks!!! update end of page 1: Cannibal Mama!!! :(

[chickensducks&agoose]

my chicks arrived in the mail this morning, and 2 had gotten squashed (like steam roller style), and the chicks were EATING them. EATING their intestines... do I need to give them grit?

 

[Lesa]

There is enough grit in the chick starter- don't worry. Sorry you had to see that...Chicks look so innocent, but....Hoping your others will be healthy and happy!

 

[hokankai]

This actually is very common behavior in a lot of animals as a survival mechanism in order to get rid of bodies that might attract predators. It's hard to see but they were just acting on pure instinct, so I don't think there's much to worry about behavior wise.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Chickens are cannibles and will eat anything dead and squishy in a heartbeat. Its just in there nature. sorry for your loss.

 

[sharol]

ewww. I love your question, though. It puts it all in perspective.

chickensducks&agoose :

my chicks arrived in the mail this morning, and 2 had gotten squashed (like steam roller style), and the chicks were EATING them. EATING their intestines... do I need to give them grit?​

 

[Tomhusker]

Quote:
Plus, they taste like chicken!

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Quote:
Plus, they taste like chicken!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

well, they ARE meat birds, but still it made me cry. it made the post office lady cry too. I think the baby goose squashed them, and then they got eaten... the hatchery said that there was enough grit in the chick starter, and I shouldn't worry about it... still though, ugh. I'm going to try to slip the remaining chicks under a broody mama.. I showed her one this afternoon, and she did not seem real maternal, unless you call head pecking a loving gesture... Also, it was really warm the past day or two, and by the time I got the box this morning, it stank, bad. yuck. but they weren't panting or anything, and other than the few squashees, they seem healthy and happy.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

broody mama tried to eat the babies. I snuck them under her in the dark, and then came back about 4 minutes later to check on her, and she was literally trying to eat one... holding it in her mouth by it's butt, then dropping it, then pecking it, then biting it up in the air... so i took all of them away, and gave her quite a scolding.. she's kind of insane, but her twin is actually being a good mama to her 2 week olds.

 

[sharol]

Maybe they smelled "dead" from their encounter of the squished kind.

chickensducks&agoose :

broody mama tried to eat the babies. I snuck them under her in the dark, and then came back about 4 minutes later to check on her, and she was literally trying to eat one... holding it in her mouth by it's butt, then dropping it, then pecking it, then biting it up in the air... so i took all of them away, and gave her quite a scolding.. she's kind of insane, but her twin is actually being a good mama to her 2 week olds.​