Is taking chick from mother hen cruel?

[Frazzled chicken tender]

I have a lone chick that hatched from a damaged shell about a week ago. I'm trying to sneak her under a broody hen but the broody hen is barely tolerating her (yellow chick in pic). A different hen has a chick of roughly same age but she is having difficulty protecting it from a larger broody hen with chicks (mille fleur and dark chick). So i was considering taking that baby from the mother (not really the biilogical mother i think she was just hopping between nesting boxes to see whose egg hatched first) and raising it with the lone one. I would just put the mother with both chicks but she is attacking the lone chick. I apologize, this is a complicated situation and i feel like I'm not explaining it clearly. I'm in the coop now trying to protect both babies from broody hens. I had no idea broody hens could be so aggressive.

 

[AidKD]

Is there any way you can separate the nice broody hen with the chicks from the mean one?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Broody hens are hyped up on hormones and imprint on their chicks. They protect their chicks from any threat, real or imaginary. They can be extremely protective to the point of killing other chickens.

Is it more cruel to take that chick away or to risk it dying? To me it is an easy choice.

Besides, in two or three days that hen will be over it and back to normal. They get over it so fast I don't see it as being cruel. I see it as managing your flock for the benefit of the flock.

 

[Frazzled chicken tender]

Broody hens are hyped up on hormones and imprint on their chicks. They protect their chicks from any threat, real or imaginary. They can be extremely protective to the point of killing other chickens.

Is it more cruel to take that chick away or to risk it dying? To me it is an easy choice.

Besides, in two or three days that hen will be over it and back to normal. They get over it so fast I don't see it as being cruel. I see it as managing your flock for the benefit of the flock.

Good to hear. I hate to take it away from its mother but the yellow chick is alone (except when i put her in box with cochin) If I leave the yellow chick down with the other broody hen, i dont think it is safe. The cochin is tolerating it, but i dont think that is the same as really adopting it. As it is, the dark chick is vulnerable even though the mille fleur is protecting it pretty well so far. It's flying around up to the nesting box to follow the mothers calls.
I'm glad to hear the mothers get over it soon. My husband wants me to find a home for some of our hens (i got carried away and got more than the original number we agreed on). I dont feel right rehoming any older hens that have been with us for a year but i've found a good home for the chicks.

Is there any way you can separate the nice broody hen with the chicks from the mean one?

I might be able to. She is sitting on some eggs but i might be able to bring her, her eggs, and the 2 chicks to an area in my garage. I would probably need to purchase a small tent for them.