3 of my hens have just hatched a couple chicks each. I have moved them into a smaller coupe about 2 weeks prior to hatching as my main coupe is not suitable for baby chicks. Now one of the hens is attacking one specific chick (I suspect it is male but not comfirmed). Does anyone know why this might happen? I thought overcrouded but she is only pecking at one specific chick. I also found a baby chick behind the nesting boxes with a bloody head which I thought was a from hatching but now I'm not sure as I think that one is also male. Would she just be killing off the male chicks?
It doesn't mean it's a male, it means she has rejected it. If it is injured you need to separate it and care for it yourself. I'd take a second one as a buddy do you're not stuck with a lone chick. When I've had more than one broody at the same time, sometimes one will try to kill chicks that aren't hers. This hen is likely doing that, especially since she has now done it to two chicks. I would separate her and her chicks from the other hens immediately so she stops doing this.
