Hen killing new chicks

[700cct]

So I have this hen, mottled java, that I let sit on 2 eggs. Her first go around, I found 1 egg squashed with baby inside, and the other was out of the egg but dead. At first i thought, "oh how sad, it must have been an accident". This is her second go. Its a few days early for them to hatch. Today i find a chick thrown out in front of her nest box, pecked and slowly dying. After putting it down, i realized that she must freak and kill the chicks when she feels them move. I gave her remaining egg to another broody hen (she was actually in chicken jail) and marked her so Id know which she is.
Is this a common behavior for chickens? And if so, whats a good way to deal with it? Just so I know to watch out for it next time. Ive had 3 other javas hatch their eggs with no infanticide.

 

[BlackHackle]

Some hens have that issue. Smilos, the one americauna I had about 4 years ago, had 13 chicks and killed 8 of them at birth. It serves her right that she was eventually killed by a coyote.

 

[700cct]

I thought about culling this one, but if she stops brooding she will still produce eggs, so I dont know. Hurt my feelings though.

Some hens have that issue. Smilos, the one americauna I had about 4 years ago, had 13 chicks and killed 8 of them at birth. It serves her right that she was eventually killed by a coyote.

 

[LRH97]

I have no experience with Javas, but if you've had good luck with the others as moms, I'd say it's more than likely an individual thing. Some birds are simply bad mothers. Some quit half-way through incubation, some are extremely careless with the babies, and some are clumsy in the nest and break eggs. And then some kill their chicks.

I wouldn't cull. Just simply don't use her as a brooder anymore.

 

[BlackHackle]

Ya, I would not kill that Java hen. They are good layers. Just don't let her sit on eggs. My americana never had the chance to anyway before she was eaten

 

[Rooster G]

Eat her.

 

[BlackHackle]

Eat her.

Now, now. LOL

 

[700cct]

Ehhhh I'd have to stew her for awhile before she'd be edible haha. Especially since shes been brooding for so long shes not exactly meaty. These javas are almost impossible to break the broody behavior. I've "jailed" them for up to 2 weeks and as soon as I let them out, they fluff out their feathers and go right back to finding an egg to sit on. Are there any more.....extreme....methods to breaking a broody hen?

 

[BlackHackle]

Putting her in a chicken tractor with other hens so that the only ground she has is grass with no nests. It works every time for mine, except I put a nest in there with a big sunflower head in it (my chickens are utterly afraid of sunflower heads for some reason).

 

[Baby_the_duckling]

If you want a brooding hen get a silkie they are the best