Mama vs Aunt

[ChirpyChicks1]

MY once calm broody has turned into the T-Rex of mama hens she and chicks are currently vacationing in Rabbit Hutch Ramada until I’m able to set up temporary lodgings in the coop for her brood and a group of teenagers.

Tonight I let her and babies free range with the other girls, first time ever out in the big world

It’s gone fairy well, she and chicks are staying together and the other hens don’t care about the babies. Eventually one of the hens ended up getting too close and mama went crazy. They would NOT stop fighting until I grabbed one of them, ended up being mama. Both had blood running down their faces. Mama was clearly exhausted by the experience, at point during the fight had even sprawled out panting heavily.

My question is, if I wasn’t there to intervene would the hens have seriously injured each other? Maybe to the point of death? Anyone experience anything like that before? I already planned on supervising their time out of the brooder.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes there's a few fights when mom first goes free in the flock with her chicks. I always intervene. Each time I let the hen out the fighting will lessen. Sometimes they will work it out the first time and sometimes it keeps going and the chicks get stressed so I step in, and separate out the broody again. Not sure if it would go to the death as I never let it go that long.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

Thanks for replying