Dusty Lasted Five Weeks This Time...Today, She Tried to Kill Them...

[speckledhen]

They are just five weeks old. Last time, she did this at three weeks with her chick. I heard the chicks yelling and looked out to see Dusty chasing the Delaware baby around the strawberry patch. Got on my shoes (two bad ankles and DH left for town, of course

) and ran out to see the splash Orp being chased by his mother. The Del looks like Dusty may have gotten in a few good pecks, no blood, but she looks scared and shellshocked. I grabbed Dusty by her chest feathers, scooped her up, took her to the house to put a saddle on her and threw her back in with Suede. Poor babies! They are so scared.

I wonder if I should let her brood again. She doesnt just push them away, she tries to really hurt them. And I never know when she'll go off like that. Good thing they were out ranging rather than in the small broody pen with her!

 

[joletabey]

Not that I think I have any experience with chickens doing this, but if she passes on great chicken traits, you could let her hatch out and then move them to a brooder. Once in a while you get a nasty mare that won't accept her foal, and you have to hand raise it, but if that mare drops incredible babies, it wouldn't keep me from breeding her.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

If she wants to brood I'd let her brood eggs but would keep the babies she hatched and hand raise them. So, basically just use her as an incubator.

Dusty isn't one of your breeders is she? I couldn't remember.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, she is one of my three Blue Orpington hens. And this is her second brood this year. She's a PAIN, that girl. She is a great mom... till she's not.

Then, I have to come to the rescue. If she had started this when she was in the little 4x5 broody pen rather than out on the property, I might have come out to dead or severely injured chicks so I'm really glad that I stayed home when DH went to town.

We moved her six babies into the little Firetower coop with Glenda's three EE chicks who are two weeks older than the six. So far, they seem okay with it. Their respective broody mamas would keep them from sparring or associating with each other so the bigger ones are wary of the little ones, LOL. Glenda was not quite ready to give up her motherhood stint, but she is in the adjoining pen and they can see each other fine.

 

[insiderart]

Dusty, Dusty, Dusty. I think I would call it a day on Dusty having chicks. It sounds like she just can't handle it. I think you got lucky this time. I'm glad the little Del is ok, it was my favorite from that bunch.

Some animals just aren't good mothers, no matter how hard they try.

 

[WriterofWords]

I've got kind of an opposite problem with Duchess. She won't let her babies go or have any freedom at all. But man she sure beats the heck out of anyone that goes near them!

 

[speckledhen]

And yesterday, she'd have killed anything that tried to hurt her babies. Today, she's the killer. Crazy Dusty. Glenda, on the other hand, may have mothered hers another month. She's so sweet, that girl, but she needs to eat and fatten herself back up, so it's just as well that she gets on with her normal life again.

 

[lovemychix]

I have a Blue Cochin who manages to smash her babies right after they hatch. She's always broody. I give the babies to my little sizzle who would raise anything.

I'm glad you got to them before something bad happened.

 

[Holly O]

This just proves my point I make to my kids at times... lol

They are driving me crazy and I'm going to loose it one day! ....lol

 

[speckledhen]

Kate, I love your new avatar!

Well, the babies seem to be doing okay at the moment. The three older ones usually hang far away from the little ones. We also put my 12 week old BR pullet, Fern, in the main flock today, permanently. She has been freeranging with them, but always slept in her own place, so now, she and Glenda have to find their places in the flock.

I let the Orps out to freerange. Dusty walked right by the place she had been living with her chicks and didn't even look at it. She is completely back in her flock now and the other two didn't give her a hard time, either.