Mama hen bullying single chick! Help!

[dehill]

Hey team,

For reasons I’ll not go into (see my other thread) I’ve had to put a 3 day old chick back under my broody hen after a couple of days away. Not her chicks, but she adopted 2 others of the same brood without fuss.

Sadly the latest chick is spending the whole time hiding under mama as she gets pecked every time she ventures out. The other 2 are cheeping and pecking around as they should, but the latest one just scurries around under the hen to stay safe. I’ve sprinkled some crumb around the floor so she doesn’t starve.

Question is will she start to be accepted more, or should bite the bullet and put her back in the brooder? I’m reluctant to do that as she was in turn bullying the other injured chick I have in the brooder! Aaaagh!

 

[Yardmom]

Is it the other chicks or the mom who are pecking her? Just reread the title about it being the Mom. The mom probably sees it as an intruder at this point. Hard to say if she will give in. Is the chick able to stay warm? Are the pecks "little" discipline pecks or is it more aggressive than that? If the chick is warm and doesn't seem in danger you could give it time to see what happens.

 

[dehill]

Thanks for your advice! Yes, it is the mum hen doing the pecking.

I’ve just been out to close up the run for the evening and to be fair they are more like discipline pecks rather than anything too aggressive. I’m happy to leave her for the night and keep monitoring. I’ll post again is anything changes.

Thanks!