First Time Mom

[kkavleski]

Hi everyone, One of my hens became broody while I was way in august. When I got back home she didn't want me near here so it let her sit on the eggs. Turns out there were 26 eggs she was one. When they started hatching I let her be for a couple days but every day there was another and another hatching. I took the rest of the eggs away worried she wouldn't care for the one that already hatched. I placed the other in a incubator and hatched 21 out of the 26, 3 did not make it and one passed today ( thanks to my mothers dog.) I have tried to reintroduce the 8 babies that I hatched via the incubator and she ignored them as the others were already outside with mom wondering so I kept them in side. Now about 2-3 weeks there is one baby that is black all the rest are yellow with brown. She attachked the black baby when I tried to reintroduce it as well as the babies already in her care. I thought if I let it be she would come around by evening the baby was hiding and pecked at with sores. I brought it back in. We really wanted to keep the black one it is so pretty with a yellow belly. Any one have any thoughts.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Stop trying to give these chicks to the hen. She doesn't recognize them, and never will. A hen bonds with chicks in the first day of hatch. Anything else isn't hers, and she will attack them and possibly kill them.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC....sorry you're having troubles.
Quite the 'jump into the frying pan' experience!
Broodies must be managed somewhat.
Did she accept all the incubated chicks except the black one?
You may need to take few chicks from the hen and brood them yourself with the black one.

 

[kkavleski]

Welcome to BYC....sorry you're having troubles.
Quite the 'jump into the frying pan' experience!
Broodies must be managed somewhat.
Did she accept all the incubated chicks except the black one?
You may need to take few chicks from the hen and brood them yourself with the black one.

Yes - just not the black one-