I'm a Mama Hen!

[cakkleberrylane]

We've had chicks, chicks and more chicks. Everything was going fine, but I think the last hen to have hers hatch got tired of more babies. She rejected one of them, kept pecking at him so I removed him. At the same time I saw an egg with a hole, so I let that one hatch out on my desk.

Now, I have two little chicks in a priority mail box on my desk! I've never seen chicks so determined to cuddle. If I put my hand in the box, they both jump into it.

The one chick is constantly pecking the other. Not in a mean way, I think he's just curious. He pecks the other one's eye, beak and feet. The pecked guy squeels. But if I separate them, they both squeel until I put them back together again or cuddle them.

Any suggestions??

Thanks

 

[Julie08]

if you dont see blood leave them together. Maybe give them something in the box to peck at...... do you have food on the bottom of the box?? they like to dig and scratch keeps them busy.

 

[Red]

We put a mirror in with our chicks, which kept them entertained for hours - it was just a little make-up mirror that we propped up against the side, but they loved it!

We also got the bottom of an egg carton and put marbles in the egg shaped holes, than scattered chick crumbs around the marbles. This kept the chicks busy trying to peck the food from between the marbles.

Good luck with your little cheepers, hope this helps

 

[cakkleberrylane]

WOW!! Thanks everyone. I really appreciate knowing that there is a solution other than me holding them all the time!!

 

[Red]

One of our chicks was born with a very dark beak, and the other four used to pick on him something horrible. They weren't being nasty, his beak just stood out a little too much! We tried everything we could to distract the other chicks, and the egg box and mirror worked best...little Midget (the chick who had the dark beak) gets his own back now though, he's the biggest of them all

Ours liked to be cuddled too and were constantly demanding attention. We put a soft toy in for them to cuddle up to when we weren't with them, and they seemed to appreciate that too. That's so cute that you got to see the second one hatch out right in front of you!

 

[cakkleberrylane]

I take the eggs from the hens when they seem to lose interest in incubating them, so I frequently have a pile of "orphan eggs" in the bathroom sitting in a box on a heating pad. I had two hatch on my desk in the last couple of days. One, she accepted, the other not. That's where this guy came from.

The mirror works great!!! Thank you so much! I have put them in a plastic bin on a heating pad. There is a feather duster in the corner and they cuddle into that! So cute!!