mama hen attacked 2 out of 6 of her adopted babies

[xanaxnation]

my orpington went broody and i wasnt successful in breaking her of it so i bought some chicks. i slipped them under her @ night with no problems, but the next day found 2 of the 6 in a corner of the yard. i thought maybe they were confused, so i put them back by mama. she promptly went after them and they split. i caught them and put them in a crate & slipped them back under her last night, and today.. same thing. any ideas? suggestions? when i put them in at night, she doesnt care. i go out to check a couple of times in the middle of the night and everyones happy, but the next morning the chicks are in some remote corner of the yard. mama is doing great with the other 4.... should i just keep trying to put them in @ night and eventually she'll get over it?

 

[basicliving]

I have not experienced this, but maybe this will bump you so someone else can weigh in. Personally, if she's done this to the same 2 chicks a couple of nights in a row I think she's not going to accept them for some reason and I'd probably put them in a brooder.

Penny

 

[xanaxnation]

i put them under her last night again and this morning she was only chasing one of them. the other was still in the coop. so i guess theyll be going in the brooder today. it seemed so weird that she took 4 of them and not the other two. it didnt seem to be about looks, shes a buff and she accepted 3 whites and one mousy brown and rejected what i believe to be 2 golden comets, buff/white mottled. :: shrug:: weird birds....

 

[JennsPeeps]

I've heard that sometimes they reject other breeds of birds.