Mama Hen attacked today

[and1223]

I have 6 Cinnamon Queens, 6 New Hamshire Red, 10 Buff Orpington and 2 Black Copper Maran. One of the BO is new mama with 5 chicks approximately 3 weeks. She and the chicks are separated from the rest of flock inside the run with a visible fence. Today she flew over the gate and the other hens started attacking her. it was awful to witness. I ended up breaking the fights and put her back with her babies. After witnessing this, I'm not sure I will ever be able to integrate her and babies. All these hens are a year and half and grew up together.

 

[and1223]

Here is the setup for mama hen and chicks

 

[Lollychicken]

Could be because they have been separated and the others wanted to show dominance. They do this because she left and has lost her dominance

 

[azygous]

What you saw was likely a combination of the broody hen irritating her former mates by being broody and her being a cranky broody on a hair trigger temper. This is not at all uncommon. Perhaps it would settle everyone down if you would rig a partial blind on the dividing partition between the chicks and the main flock so the broody won't feel her chicks are as vulnerable and exposed. A very cheap netting can be fashioned with cheese cloth stretched over that pen so the broody and chicks can't jump out into the main section before they're ready.

By the time they are ready to integrate, the broody will hopefully have had her hormones tempered and calmed, and she won't squabble unless she really needs to defend a chick.

 

[aart]

Broodies will always have to reestablish their place in the flock and at the feeder.
It's not pretty, but usually over pretty quickly with ample space.

I separate broodies with a wire wall, then remove wall about 1 week after hatch.
Chicks are rarely attacked and have their floor nest and a creep feeder area for shelter.

 

[and1223]

Broodies will always have to reestablish their place in the flock and at the feeder.
It's not pretty, but usually over pretty quickly with ample space.

I separate broodies with a wire wall, then remove wall about 1 week after hatch.
Chicks are rarely attacked and have their floor nest and a creep feeder area for shelter.

Hmm...How do you set up a creep feeder ?area?

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I have 6 Cinnamon Queens, 6 New Hamshire Red, 10 Buff Orpington and 2 Black Copper Maran. One of the BO is new mama with 5 chicks approximately 3 weeks. She and the chicks are separated from the rest of flock inside the run with a visible fence. Today she flew over the gate and the other hens started attacking her. it was awful to witness. I ended up breaking the fights and put her back with her babies. After witnessing this, I'm not sure I will ever be able to integrate her and babies. All these hens are a year and half and grew up together.

If the other hens really wanted to get to her they would so easily jump that fence and do it. I use a similar fence to separate but put a tarp over it to prevent coming out or going in. I never separated my hen when she was hatching. I don’t know if I was just lucky but they just became part if the flock as they hatched. Whenever I have to separate one into a setup like that (or bring into the house) because of an injury, reintegration can be really ugly. The last time I had to actually re-home two RIRs that were the meanest to reintegrate my favorite hen.

 

[aart]

Hmm...How do you set up a creep feeder ?area?

I use a piece of 2x4 welded wire to section off a corner of the coop.
The chicks can get thru the wire, the biggers birds cannot.
Hard to see, but the lower row of wires are squeezed to make every other hole a bit bigger.

There is also a hinged 'door' for me to be able to reach in and refill feeder.

 

[cmom]

I have done something similar where the chicks could get in and out but the other birds couldn't.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I use a piece of 2x4 welded wire to section off a corner of the coop.
The chicks can get thru the wire, the biggers birds cannot.
Hard to see, but the lower row of wires are squeezed to make every other hole a bit bigger.
View attachment 2577313

There is also a hinged 'door' for me to be able to reach in and refill feeder.
View attachment 2577317

Brilliant!