Hen pecking chicks

[MirandaRay]

Hi All!

This is our first time having a mama hen. Normally we take care of the chicks in the house until they're big enough to be with the rest of the flock. I'm having trouble deciding what the best thing to do is.

I have a bantam that is beating up her babies. Half of them are hers and the others we introduced to her to replace the eggs that didn't hatch. She's had them for almost 2 weeks now. She is starting to beat them up though. She is pecking them and pulling their feathers. We thought maybe is way too tight of quarters so we moved them all to a larger area, but she's still beating them up. The biggest problem we're having, though, is when we remove her from the chicks she gets incredibly stressed. As do the babies. I feel like she needs to be kept away from them so she doesn't kill them, but she just panics and tries to get back to them when we remove her. Should I just wait it out and eventually she'll get over it? Or should I bring them in the house to get them out of her line of sight entirely? I'm worried if all the chickens don't see/hear them regularly that they will reject them when we reintroduce them.

Thanks in advance!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

How warm is others they are and how feathered are they?

 

[MirandaRay]

How warm is others they are and how feathered are they?

They have a light. They all still have feathers. She mostly damaged their wings, sadly.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

How many feathers though? Are the chicks completely feathered or just starting to be feathered? Broodies do not need a light. It is just going to mKe everyone too hot

 

[LaFleche]

Hi All!

This is our first time having a mama hen. Normally we take care of the chicks in the house until they're big enough to be with the rest of the flock. I'm having trouble deciding what the best thing to do is.

I have a bantam that is beating up her babies. Half of them are hers and the others we introduced to her to replace the eggs that didn't hatch. She's had them for almost 2 weeks now. She is starting to beat them up though. She is pecking them and pulling their feathers. We thought maybe is way too tight of quarters so we moved them all to a larger area, but she's still beating them up. The biggest problem we're having, though, is when we remove her from the chicks she gets incredibly stressed. As do the babies. I feel like she needs to be kept away from them so she doesn't kill them, but she just panics and tries to get back to them when we remove her. Should I just wait it out and eventually she'll get over it? Or should I bring them in the house to get them out of her line of sight entirely? I'm worried if all the chickens don't see/hear them regularly that they will reject them when we reintroduce them.

Thanks in advance!

I would put her back with the flock and keep the chicks inside the house with a good heating source.

They will get used to not getting beat up and she will soon forget about them.

There is no use in a broody that is harming the chicks. I would not let her brood again.

 

[MirandaRay]

I would put her back with the flock and keep the chicks inside the house with a good heating source.

They will get used to not getting beat up and she will soon forget about them.

There is no use in a broody that is harming the chicks. I would not let her brood again.

Thank you!

 

[MirandaRay]

How many feathers though? Are the chicks completely feathered or just starting to be feathered? Broodies do not need a light. It is just going to mKe everyone too hot

We only gave them the light when we removed mama hen to compensate for her being gone.