Hen has bloodied the tails of her babies...help me understand...

[EllyMae]

Ok, so it's a cochin hen that brooded and hatched 3 australian spotted bantam ducks. They are a week old as of this past weekend. Today when I came home to check on them, I see the hen grab one by the bottom, pick it completely up off the ground, the drop it. It was done pretty rough, and that is when I noticed that two of the babies had raw bottoms showing through the fuzz on their tails. I quickly threw together another brooder(keeping them separate from my other standard size ducklings because these babies are sooo tiny). I then threw the mama hen back into the coop with the other ladies, who then gave her a piece of their mind! No blood was shed, but she is being kept in her place. The babies are upset and keep calling for mama, but my friend told me she would probably end up killing them. Anyone have this happen?? I'm so bummed because she was being such a great mom.

 

[Cetawin]

Sounds like she may be a good incubator but a bad mama. it could be because they are ducks but most likely just her.

Hopefully someone with more baby hatching experience can answer

 

[mypicklebird]

Mama hen wants chicks, not ducklings. Some broodies will raise other species, but some won't. Ducklings may not be making the right sounds, and she is not properly bonding with them- she will probably kill them eventually. I have a good broody hen, and she will do a great job with chicken chicks, but when she hatched out some guinea keets- she knew they were impostors and I had to take them away. Your babies are ducks- which imprint on moving objects- so they have imprinted on her likely- and they do miss her, but don't put them back.

 

[EllyMae]

THanks for the input...ducks are new territory for me! I was thinking that it was because they play in the waterer so much that it was upsetting her to the point of abusive behavior. THey are in their new brooder and seem to be settling down. I put them close to the other duck brooder and they seem to get comfort from hearing the other duckies near by.

 

[mythkat]

My cochin hatched ducks and chicks. It was her first hatch and I had to take them away from her because she kept grabbing their feet, the chicks and the ducks. I think that their running around was too much for her the first time. She's been great with her second hatch.

 

[EllyMae]

Quote:
That makes me feel a little better. I was starting to also wonder if maybe I had caused her to act like that because she was sooo protective of them. she flogged my arm everytime I tried to put food and water in. But since you mentioned "first timer"....I think these are her first babies. Kinda makes sense.