citychicks99
Songster
I had two broodies and a staggered hatch and moved mama #1 with her 4 babies that hatched last Wednesday into a separate pen and they're doing great. Mama #2 hatched one chick on Monday and was sitting on a couple more eggs. They were getting along fine until I removed the eggs because she had been sitting on them past three weeks and kept pooping on them so I figured it was pointless to let her health deteriorate while she pooped on the eggs.
Mama #2 started acting really weird, making the noise she makes when she's off her nest like she'll come back to the eggs. The poor solo chick followed her around and while mama #2 was still protective of her from the other flock members she acted pretty cold toward her chick, even stepping on him/her at one point when trying to protect him/her. She pecked at the chick like she wanted him/her to go away and instead of feeding him/her she kicked the food away every time he/she tried to eat. They didn't have this issue before. The chick managed to still hop on the mom to sleep but the mom didn't seem too happy her eggs were missing.
She's a first time mom but she was hatched by her mom who was a great mother and her sister seems to be doing pretty well too. Not sure if she's upset only one chick hatched? I'm trying to incubate the other eggs that weren't pooped on but I wouldn't get my hopes up. I just have a bad feeling about this. Should I get her a couple more chicks? Would that help her calm down a bit?
Mama #2 started acting really weird, making the noise she makes when she's off her nest like she'll come back to the eggs. The poor solo chick followed her around and while mama #2 was still protective of her from the other flock members she acted pretty cold toward her chick, even stepping on him/her at one point when trying to protect him/her. She pecked at the chick like she wanted him/her to go away and instead of feeding him/her she kicked the food away every time he/she tried to eat. They didn't have this issue before. The chick managed to still hop on the mom to sleep but the mom didn't seem too happy her eggs were missing.
She's a first time mom but she was hatched by her mom who was a great mother and her sister seems to be doing pretty well too. Not sure if she's upset only one chick hatched? I'm trying to incubate the other eggs that weren't pooped on but I wouldn't get my hopes up. I just have a bad feeling about this. Should I get her a couple more chicks? Would that help her calm down a bit?