Day old Chick!!!

[swdunn0926]

Ok here is the situation, yesterday a first time momma, hatched 2 out of 4 eggs (she sat on the eggs so protectively) the first chick is about 8 hours older then the other chick so was all over its mom and she just sat on the other and the 2 other eggs. While the first hatched chick was what i call playing eatting around the nest where mom was another hen attacked it pecked its eyes and ears and head! It is still alive after 11 hours and is acting ok! I have cleaned it wounds but am worried! Is there any advice anyone can give me to help this sweet little thing.

 

[Stephanie-n-Hayden]

I had this exact problem when I let one of my hens hatch her eggs. The momma was very protective and did a great job protecting her babies. I had gone out to check on her in the coop and found that her eggs had hatched. One of the hens had apparently spent the last 30 hours trying to get at the chicks. They were under momma, and the other hen was pecking at the momma's head, had pecked her walnut comb completely off her head. One of the 5 chicks that had hatched had fallen out of the nest and died of either an attack from the other hen, or being too cold for too long. Momma and chicks were very scared, hungry, and thirsty. I had to separate them from the rest of the flock until they were old enough to defend themselves. Eventually, becuase they were bantams and the other hen was a standard, we had to just separate them all. They would probably be alright now, but I am leary about taking the chance that one of them will get hurt.