Hen pecked first chick

[Silkielover16]

This is my first time hatching eggs with a broody hen and I have run into an issue. The eggs started hatching today and as I was checking them I noticed the first chick had come out from under mom. I then saw that one of its wings had been totally pecked and only bone is remaining. I took the chick and set up a makeshift brooder. I am not unsure what to do as another chick has just hatch and there are more on they way, do I remove the chicks as they hatch?Any suggestions are very much appreciated, thanks you!

 

[coach723]

You may have to remove the chicks. While most hens do a good job of being mama, sometimes they do not. I would watch carefully and if it happens with another, then I would remove them. It's possible something was wrong with the one and she was trying to remove it/drive it away, but it's very hard to say from here. As a first time broody, it's all unknown, she has no history. If this broody does not do a good job, then if she is very young I might let her try again when she's older, but I might not. If she did try again and if she did badly again, I would not let her sit and hatch again.

 

[Silkielover16]

You may have to remove the chicks. While most hens do a good job of being mama, sometimes they do not. I would watch carefully and if it happens with another, then I would remove them. It's possible something was wrong with the one and she was trying to remove it/drive it away, but it's very hard to say from here. As a first time broody, it's all unknown, she has no history. If this broody does not do a good job, then if she is very young I might let her try again when she's older, but I might not. If she did try again and if she did badly again, I would not let her sit and hatch again.

Thanks so much for the reply! It is also hard as it is getting late and I am worried that she will do it to another over night. I think I will do as mentioned and leave them with her for now, hopefully all goes well through the night.

 

[coach723]

Fingers crossed for you. Many feel that it's best to let nature take it's course, but it is also very sad to lose babies. I intervene if I can, but if you don't have an incubator then you can't really remove them until they hatch anyway, or you'll lose them that way. Best case scenario, she is good with the remaining ones. Let's hope.