Mean Momma

[sycamore124]

Ok… hen (A - a Black Bresse) was setting on about 8 eggs from my hens and my Jersey Giant Roo.. 4 chicks hatched rest of eggs were bum ( just runny inside)…. Hen ( B -a Wellsummer ) hatched out 8 chicks one day later( unhatched eggs also runny inside). One chick dropped out of her nest and hen A killed it- but has not bothered Hen B’s chicks since- all went out into the yard…. Now Hen (C- a Black Bresse) hatched out about 12 chicks and Hen A is trying to kill her chicks… I have corralled Hen A who is now sitting her happy hinny in crate ( Her chicks can get to her).. Question 1 is: how long do you think I need to keep this hen crated so she does not kill any of Hen C’s chicks… Hen C does try to protect her chicks.. but Hen A is on a mission !

Oddly enough last year I got my Jersey Giant Roo.. only hens I had at the time were a White Bresse, a Austra White, 3 Wellsummers and a Lavender Orpington… I had 2 white chicks..3 lavender chicks.. and a boatload of little black penguin looking ones… ( they turned out to be Wellsummers)… this year ? Just lil black lookin’ penguin ones..no color.. ( I did not get my Black Bresse until last fall)… I am beginning to think the Roo has his preferences… the Black Bresse have feathers missing from their heads and back… any of the other hens do not.. so that kinda answers why I just have lil black penguins running around… has anyone else crossed their Jersey Giant with other breeds? If so… what was the breast meat like? I was “supposed” to get a roo from last years crop after process.. however all I got from the deal was “dog food and a chicken they had that was frozen for over two years”. So I do not know if it is worth keeping the Jersey Giant Roo or not… I realize once the Bresse are crossed with any other breed they loose the marbling .. So Question 2 is : Is it worth keeping the cross if it produced enough breast meat? If he is not going to cross with my other hens… should I bother keeping him? – Looking for opinions… Thanks

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I had a hen kill other hens chicks. It didn't stop until I removed her from the flock for a few weeks to break her. She kept doing it despite her chicks being over 2 months of age. I have never let her hatch again. She was a good mother, but she took it to the extreme.

It's always best to keep setting hens away from other hens that may be setting as well, and separately during the first few weeks in my experiences. You just never know.

Many roosters will favor a few hens. Not sure if he's worth keeping.