Hens pecking on some of their babies

[FlyingHuskyRanc]

I have two broody hens, they sat in eggs for 24 days and then we got them some day old chicks. For two day they were good; but now the hens are pecking on the lightest chicks and the little ones are always in one corner. Is this pecking order or is there something else going on. I have a few black, red and yellow chicks. The hens are pecking just in teh light ones and they are fine with the darkest ones.
I separate them already but I'm not sure if this is a normal behavior and I just should integrate everybody again??

 

[mychookschick]

Hmm, is she hurting them? Like, are they bleeding at all? If not, I wouldn't worry about it. I have seen my broody hens peck the chicks when they are out of line.

 

[FlyingHuskyRanc]

The mother hens would not allow the 5 lite in color chicks to come near the others.
If they did the big hens would peck them and pick them up and hurt them till they ran away. I separated them and put them in a cage in the garage with a heating lamp. I really wanted to avoid putting chicks in the garage again but I don't want them hurt or killed... Just odd that they chose to take care of the darkest colored chicks and exile the others. At least I don't have 15 chicks in my garage, only 5..

 

[galanie]

Good job on bringing them in to brood them. The hens for some reason don't like them. I don't know why hens do that sometimes. I recently got 4 EE chicks for one of my hens and one of those chicks that was Identical to another got run off. So I had to raise that one myself. Very sad to see that happen but sometimes it does.

 

[zazouse]

Broodies can be a bit odd, i have them year round and i have some that will sit a nest all the way to hatch time and never get off the nest, if i do not pull the babies as they hatch they end up getting killed by other broodies when they venture out or they starve to death.
I have broodies that nest hop all the time, i pull my eggs every day in the laying area and they will up and move to the first nest that has been laid in again, it is like they are always broodie.

here are some of the sitters

 

[theoldchick]

That's a lot of broodies! Love the nest er...buckets!

 

[towen91]

My Brodie just hatched 7 chicks! One of them unfortunately died that day and the other 6 were doing great....until today. This is my first time and I decided to let them do it since chickens have been doing this kind of thing forever right? Well I got home from work to a massacre!!! All of the chicks looked like their eyes had been pecked out except for one! I brought them all in, but they appear to be covered in mites! I moved them outside under a brooder lamp, but I honestly feel like I'm going to loose them all except for one. They can hardly stand, and when they do they don't move. They will only drink when I pick them up and put those beaks in water. What do I do!!! I have another broody hen that should hatch her eggs any day now, but ever since these hatched,she keeps getting up the sitting back on them again. I moved the old broody my rooster and the other hen into the run and kept the current broody in the coop alone. I am hoping the eggs still hatch, and that most of by current chicks somehow pull through! Please give me some advice!

 

[Pamelawercinski]

I have two broody hens, they sat in eggs for 24 days and then we got them some day old chicks. For two day they were good; but now the hens are pecking on the lightest chicks and the little ones are always in one corner. Is this pecking order or is there something else going on. I have a few black, red and yellow chicks. The hens are pecking just in teh light ones and they are fine with the darkest ones.
I separate them already but I'm not sure if this is a normal behavior and I just should integrate everybody again??