hen has started pecking one of her chicks,

[spoiledgachix]

I need some advice please. I am new to raising Chicks. My first flock last year died of Marek's. I have one left and she is a very sweet Brahma. She went broody and has raised four chicks who are now 7 weeks old. She was a great mom. We have given two to a friend. So she has two left, a black austrolop, and a black sexlink. I have notice that mother hen has been pecking at the sexlink a lot and she will let the astro get near but will not let the other one get anywhere near her. She pecks her when she is eating too. She won't let her get on the perch at night either. I went out there tonight and the little chick was peeping away running around the bottom part of the coop while the brahma and austro where already in the closed part of the coop on the perch She was afraid to go up and get on the perch. I went in the coop and she ran to me. This baby chix is so sweet and it kills me my brahma is being so mean to her. Brahma has always been a low key and sweet bird so to see her be this way is odd. Is this normal? Will it stop? Is there anything I can do? I can't imagine how this little girl feels. Just breaks my heart.

Also I do have 4 week old chicks that I need to introduce to the above chicks. There where together in the garden today while we watched and the Austro was pecking away at these guys.(sweet sexlink was fine) I know there is a pecking order.but I never had any of this with my last flock but they all where raised together. What is the best way to introduce?

I am way to much of a softy with this little guys! I just want everyone to get along and be happy!!

 

[azygous]

I think you have a good chance of the two groups of chicks getting along. With them being just three weeks apart in age, the size difference shouldn't be that great, so bullying may not be a big problem. You would have been wise to have raised them side by side so they wouldn't be strangers. But if you haven't yet, then I would start them off where they can see and interact through a partition, then slowly let them begin to mingle while free ranging.

Merging them with the adult hen will require a lot of space and plenty of perches and other high places to escape from her if she decides to go after them. But she will probably settle down once she sees that they'll fall into line and don't present a threat. It's normal for her to give each a serious peck to let them know who's boss. But keep an eye on her in case she takes a vehement dislike to the younger four.

It's normal to feel sorry for the chick being pushed away by the broody but at seven weeks, she's trying to get them to be independent so it's normal. That she still tolerates the other chick may or may not last.

 

[spoiledgachix]

Thanks for the reply. I had all the chicks out in the garden free ranging and it seemed to go better. I didn't raise them side by side because these new chicks where vaccinated and i wanted to quarantine them since some in my first flock died of Mareks.

I am not sure why my mother hen is being so mean to one chick. It is very disruptive now. This little chick is so scared of my Brahma. At night she will not go up to the inside coop and get on the perch (we have three places where they can perch but all go on the middle one) so I have to go and get her (even though she is so scared) and put her on the perch but Brahma gets so angry and makes a loud clucking noise and tries to go after her. The poor Austro is in the middle of all this trying to protect the sexlink. Last night Brahma got a hold of her and it was more then pecking. She really was mean. The poor little one just cried (I guess that's what that was). In the morning Brahma when she comes down from the coop starts pacing and making loud clucking noises like she is mad and irritated and won't stop till you let her out. And the little one is pacing back and forth making peeping noises and won't stop till Brahma is out. Then she goes and eats and drinks. She is so scared all the time. It is really sad to see this little sweet bird that is so friendly go through this.

Do Chickens sense something in other birds? Can I do something to stop this? My husband says I should re-home Brahma but I really love this girl. I also though about giving the girl who took my other two the sexlink so she can live in peace with her other two sibling. As much as I hate to give her up I also hate she lives in such fear. But with me having 4 smaller ones I worry Brahma may be mean to them also but when they where in the garden she was showing them how to dig. But she also did this with her current flock and then turned on one of them. I just can't understand why?? Is it best I re-home one of them?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[azygous]

I think the reason the Brahma is behaving this way is due to her broody hormones still being in effect. You know it makes them sort of crazy.

I think the simplest way to handle this is to segregate the Brahma for a few days to a week, giving her plenty of time to get rid of all the Broody hormones. Meanwhile, work on integrating the two chick groups. Then when the two groups have become a smoothly running machine, re-introduce the Brahma.

 

[spoiledgachix]

Ok. Right now I have the smaller ones in a rabbit cage in the coop with the two 7 week old ones. I have let Brahma free range away from everyone all day long. I just need to figure out what to do at night.

Thanks and I sure hope she calms down and everyone gets along....

 

[azygous]

Nice going. At night I would just snatch the Brahma and let her sleep elsewhere, so none of the chicks has to be nervous about her presence. It's no big deal for a hen to sleep in a crate at night in the garage or spare room. I would let the chicks loose to sleep where they want in the coop.

Keeping the Brahma segregated until her hormones settle back down will get her back to normal, and it will give the chicks a breathing period to establish their pecking order amongst themselves without her interference. When you reintroduce the hen, the chicks will have new self confidence and security in their unit to handle the hen.

 

[spoiledgachix]

Thanks I will give it a try. I hope I will get my sweet Brahma back....