- May 22, 2011
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I have a hen with four chicks, they are about 2 weeks old. She seems to be a good mother; she looks after her chicks and feeds them but every now and then she would grab one of her chicks by a wing and throw them around. I didn't know she was trying to pluck them until recently I saw her successfully plucking one of the feathers off the young chick's wing and ate it. Is this normal chicken behavior? What would cause a mother hen to behave this way. Is it because she is lacking nutrition? This hen is not locked up, she is free to roam the backyard with her chicks and there are plenty of food, bugs, and water for them to eat. Presently, I have separted the chicks from her until I can figure out what's going on. Has anyone ever experienced this before?