Missing baby-do other chickens eat babies?

[tndrees]

I had one chick hatch yesterday. She had spraddle leg, but seemed healthy. The mother is laying on other eggs in a nest box. I noticed the mother peck the chick on the head and then on her beak, when the chick fell. I thought she was trying to help it get up. Other than that they were ok the various times I checked on them. Today I go in there to fix the leg problem, and the baby is gone! I have 4 nest boxes with broody hens in them, and today a different hen was in that box. Then a few hours later, they switched boxes again. I should mention that these are Silkie chickens. I have roosters in the coop, also. I have never separated them before, and they didn"t bother the babies. Actually the roosters are quite good dads. Was I just lucky before? It's obviously dead, but where did the body go? Thanks for any advice, as 5 moms will be having lots of babies in a couple days.

 

[Katy]

Yes, they will eat them.

 

[Kittymomma]

It's sure possible. Did you check under the other broody hens? I've heard that silkies can be a bit obssesive about motherhood so I'd look to see if one of your other girls adopted the chick before completely giving up hope.

 

[crtrlovr]

sadly, yes. Sometimes adult chickens will eat babies. First make sure one of the other silkies hasn't decided to "adopt" the baby, because they'll do that too. I had one Silkie mama adopt some buff orpington/rir cross chicks whose mama was delighted to let them go.

she raised them and they sat under her until they were too big to fit under her, then they all just clustered around here. She looked like a white mushroom in the middle of a pile of leaves. If you do discover that one hen is eating or attacking babies, try to get one of the other hens to accept the chicks and don't allow the attacker to have access to them. Also, don't breed the attacker; you don't want to pass on that type of behavior trait. Good luck!

 

[tndrees]

I found the chick (dead) today, laying right in plain site. Don't know where it was before, but a least I know they didn't eat it. I think the mom might have kicked it out of the nest, so it died. I don't think the mom will be a good mother. She is the only one that gets off her nest when I bring treats. I'm taking some of her eggs and putting them in the other nests. The nest boxes are about a foot off the ground. Will that be a problem for the other chicks when they hatch?

 

[Kittymomma]

It can be if mom decides to go back to the nest the chicks won't be able to follow. Or in the case of your little dead chick, if the chicks fall/get shoved out they have no way to make it back to warmth. Can you put a ramp or something up? Sorry about your little guy.

 

[tndrees]

Thanks, I'll figure something out. I had put a pile of straw up to it, the night before, but the next morning it was pretty much flat.