Help! Broody hens pecking at fist chick!

[babyfoot]

These were my two mums who managed a brood between them, wasn't all plain sailing as one is higher up the pecking order than the other but the three chicks they had between them went to either hen at the call for food. When they were sitting, I had a divide up between them so they didn't move each other's eggs around too much, once the chciks were all hatched I removed the divide and watched for ages to determine that they would all be okay.
They not once ever pecked the other's chick. I keep my nesting box for chicks and broodies inside the main house but enclosed off; as is their own special little outside run. They can see and hear the other hens and the other hens would often come to the wire to investigate. This way it wasn't so bad when I would let them all out for supervised time in the main run. And let this be our secret... I too also hand feed my broody hens. I do this so that they become used to me lifting them to check the eggs and how heavy they are, if their crop seems full enough and so on. I also handle the chicks very young, even from day two. I encourage them to eat too. We all do it differently and we do what works for us.

Edit: four chicks sorry, I forgot this lil one here

Now this wee one is special... It's the blonde one in the previous pic at front of two hens. When the others were two days old mum abandoned this egg in the nest box to take others outside, as I work long hours I got home to find a stone cold egg in nest that had partially chipped its way out. It was cold and no movement or noise could be noticed... I assumed the worst and put egg in my pocket to dispose of; on way to dustbin I felt the tiniest movement in my pocket and put egg to my ear to hear faint cheeping. Bearing in mind that the egg had started chipping a full twelve hours earlier I didn't give much hope but I decided to try. In the house with warm towels I carefully removed the shell and rubbed the chick even though it appeared dead, after a few minutes it cheeped again and made little stirring movements. I wrapped it up in kitchen towel and placed it next to my heart so it could feel the beats. An hour later and it had its eyes open and was moving more. So happy... later I put it under the hen that still had one egg left to hatch. It's doing really well now

 

[babyfoot]

and yeah, I am a complete novice but it all worked out

 

[lizgarf]

That's so great! Good job!

 

[wondermom319]

Hers a picture of the last baby we were worried about. We put it and Betty in the garage but betty is a free spirit lol. Found her walking around the garage when i went home to check on them. At least she does the hard part for us. Happy surrogate mothers days to us all! liz your babies and moms are beautiful!
Whitney

 

[GermanShepherdChicks]

I had closed off their nest last night because I didn't want the other hens interfering with the chicks, and I didn't know the chick was hatched yet, so I was just trying to help them feel relaxed with a little treat. I'm not going to hand-feed them again - there is chick start in the nest with them now.
But, what about the pecking? Is that weird?
This is my first hatch and I'm very nervous - be gentle on me!

I’ve had chickens for decades. Usually I incubate seven per year. My hens also do their own hatching. I have twice (different years, different hens) seen mama hens peck baby chicks on top head really hard & they drop down immediately. Dead. I watched one mama do that to three in about three seconds. I was flabbergasted. I moved the rest of the babies to radiant heater in a box & raised them fine.

Now I have a two year old mama on 11 eggs, she (or something) smashed one yesterday that was in process of hatching. One foot was out, bloody shell. Dead. This morning I found another half hatched one dead. I may finish them in incubator or I may let nature take its course. It is disturbing how some mama hens seem to go crazy on the babies.

 

[Debbie292d]

I’ve had chickens for decades. Usually I incubate seven per year. My hens also do their own hatching. I have twice (different years, different hens) seen mama hens peck baby chicks on top head really hard & they drop down immediately. Dead. I watched one mama do that to three in about three seconds. I was flabbergasted. I moved the rest of the babies to radiant heater in a box & raised them fine.

Now I have a two year old mama on 11 eggs, she (or something) smashed one yesterday that was in process of hatching. One foot was out, bloody shell. Dead. This morning I found another half hatched one dead. I may finish them in incubator or I may let nature take its course. It is disturbing how some mama hens seem to go crazy on the babies.

Sometimes, hens just weren't meant to be good mothers, just like humans.

Other times, they have surprised us the lengths they'll go to, to hatch and take care of their babies.

I'd choose to put them in the incubator, then try giving them back to her and see if she'd raise them, provided she's not the one that pecks their heads.

Welcome to BYC!