Help!! Broody has attcked a chick!

[~goingcluckcrazy~]

Well I fostered on 3 chicks to her as she only had four. She accepted them and then after 6 hours the different coloured black one has a massive gash in s/he head you can see bone

! It is the only black one in the bunch. She is a Rhode Island Red and this is her first time being a broody... I took the chick and it is by itself in a catcage under a lamp seperated from the other chicks. I was watching her and she was pecking another on the head... Should I remove the chicks? And how can I help the wee chick more? Or should it be put to sleep

 

[Judy]

If the injured one is eating / drinking at all, it may do fine. Chickens are pretty resilient critters.

I prefer to have my broodies raise their own, but I suspect in this case you may have to remove them all. Sometimes they just don't seem to have the instinct in place to care for them. I also had one broody kill all her chicks.

 

[djennings]

Rhode Island Reds are feisty hens, I would not even attempt to let any one of the 10 hens I have take care of chicks.

 

[jbourget]

yep. take em away

 

[workinnanie]

Agree. Take um away!

 

[IdealisticRoo]

I had a broody (Black silkie mix) kill the only black Silkie mix chick.

I don't know why they do it, but I agree that they should be taken away.

For me, having a broody that will actually sit on eggs for 21 days is only 1/2 the battle! Will they actually raise them is the second half.

I have a white Silkie who is doing a great job of mothering her 2 babies, who are almost as big as she is now! She still manages to hide 1 under each wing!

My last broody had to have her babies taken away, because she would scratch for food and fling babies everywhere!!!

 

[SteveBaz]

what a shame to. They are 1/2 way convenient. You still have to raise them by hand basically after they hatch!