Momma hen suddenly pecking one of her babies!

[Asaria1]

Hello all,
I have a momma hen who has been great up until this morning. I noticed she is actively pecking at ONE of her babies. She is even chasing after it from time to time. The rest of her babies seem fine. The baby that is being bullied i noticed is hesitant to approach her mom now, while the other babies can walk right up to mom with no problems. The babies are about 7weeks old now.
Help!
Thanks

 

[chickenlittle21]

She may be starting to wean off her chicks

 

[Asaria1]

She may be starting to wean off her chicks

Will she do this one chick at a time? She seems to be picking on just the one.

 

[LaFleche]

Usually she will start with picking at one chick and then very soon pick at every single one of them that goes near her.

So to avoid the chicks being severely injured, it is best to separate them from the mother hen as soon as you see her picking on the first chick. She has had enough of them.

 

[aart]

Hello all,
I have a momma hen who has been great up until this morning. I noticed she is actively pecking at ONE of her babies. She is even chasing after it from time to time. The rest of her babies seem fine. The baby that is being bullied i noticed is hesitant to approach her mom now, while the other babies can walk right up to mom with no problems. The babies are about 7weeks old now.
Help!
Thanks

Are they all living with the flock?
I'd not separate the chicks.
As cool as it is to have broody hatch and raise chicks,
it's hard to watch the weaning.
I'd almost rather brood chicks, that I've hatched or purchased, in the coop and integrate early,
they seem to figure things out better and don't have to go thru the weaning rejection.

 

[Asaria1]

Are they all living with the flock?
I'd not separate the chicks.
As cool as it is to have broody hatch and raise chicks,
it's hard to watch the weaning.
I'd almost rather brood chicks, that I've hatched or purchased, in the coop and integrate early,
they seem to figure things out better and don't have to go thru the weaning rejection.

My entire flock consists of one momma hen with four (7week old) chicks and another momma hen with two (4week old) chicks. So i only have eight chickens total. They have all been living and ranging freely together. Although the two families keep their distance for the most part. They all sleep in the same coop, but the families sleep in opposite corners of each other. If anybody gets too close to the other family, there is sometimes pecking involved. But nothing too violent.
I agree, watching the weaning is very very hard to see. Lightbulb was such a good mom to her four chicks and suddenly she is cold as ice. They still crave to be around her but she wont let it. She’s even started sleeping in the nesting box. And she WAITS till all her babies go in the coop and settle down in their corner before she even steps foot inside the coop, then immediately goes straight to the nesting box so the babies dont know how to get to her. I’ll see her pecking them during the day, and they’ll stare at her like “i love you, why are you pecking me”. Its so sad to watch. But i figure she’s teaching them how to survive independently. Just breaks my heart seeing the babies crave their momma like this.
There is so much reading material on raising chickens, but i feel its hard to find anything on this “weaning” process and what to expect during and afterwards. Will she always be cold to her babies? Or will there be a point when they will integrate together again?

 

[aart]

My entire flock consists of one momma hen with four (7week old) chicks and another momma hen with two (4week old) chicks. So i only have eight chickens total. They have all been living and ranging freely together.

Oooo, that's an interesting situation.
How big is your coop, dimensions and pics inside and out, please?

Will she always be cold to her babies? Or will there be a point when they will integrate together again?

Usually they will only 'merge' again once the youngsters start to lay.
When there are other older birds in a flock, the mama will reintegrate with them and the chicks stay a sub-flock until laying and sometimes even after.
But you can never tell with live animals, time will tell.

Will be really interesting to see what happens when the other broody weans her chicks.
The chick may all unite, or be yet another subflock.
The mamas may also reunite into a 'flock' of two....or not.

 

[Asaria1]

Oooo, that's an interesting situation.
How big is your coop, dimensions and pics inside and out, please?

Usually they will only 'merge' again once the youngsters start to lay.
When there are other older birds in a flock, the mama will reintegrate with them and the chicks stay a sub-flock until laying and sometimes even after.
But you can never tell with live animals, time will tell.

Will be really interesting to see what happens when the other broody weans her chicks.
The chick may all unite, or be yet another subflock.
The mamas may also reunite into a 'flock' of two....or not.

Lightbulb and PomPom used to be friends (pre-babies). They were never really “bonded”, but they were friends. Now PomPom goes after Lightbulb any chance she gets. Chasing her and pecking her, so that now, poor Lightbulb has to steer clear of anywhere PomPom may be. It would make me so happy if PomPom and Lightbulb could be friends again. And I would be overjoyed if ALL the babies would integrate once the 4week olds have been weaned. All of this quarreling and separation breaks my heart to see.

My coop is 5ft deep and 4ft wide, 1ft off the ground and just a little over 3ft high. The nesting boxes protrude out the front door giving them a little extra room (however, once Lightbulb lays her first egg, I will block off the nesting boxes at night to prevent her from sleeping in there anymore). All the chickens only go in there at night, the rest of the day they are either in the run or free ranging my entire backyard. To be more accurate, they are out in the whole yard most of the time, we only lock them up in the run when no one will be home to keep an eye on them.
Thank you so much for all your insight! It has really been helping me with the whole process. I daydream of one happy flock that all get along and coexist!!!

 

[aart]

Lightbulb and PomPom used to be friends (pre-babies). They were never really “bonded”, but they were friends.

They got along as flock mates...they were your only birds?
Small flocks can be harder to manage, fewer birds to spread the pecking order around.
They both have their 'broody fierce' on right now, they may get along after they both have weaned their chicks. Whether the chicks join ranks remains to be seen, would be good if they did.....but there's no guarantees with live animals.

As long as no one is being chased and pinned, bloodied or beaten unmercilessly,
just let them work it out. Oh, and, everyone needs to be able to eat and drink without harassment, multiple feed and water stations spaced out around the run can help a great deal.

 

[Asaria1]

They got along as flock mates...they were your only birds?
Small flocks can be harder to manage, fewer birds to spread the pecking order around.
They both have their 'broody fierce' on right now, they may get along after they both have weaned their chicks. Whether the chicks join ranks remains to be seen, would be good if they did.....but there's no guarantees with live animals.

As long as no one is being chased and pinned, bloodied or beaten unmercilessly,
just let them work it out. Oh, and, everyone needs to be able to eat and drink without harassment, multiple feed and water stations spaced out around the run can help a great deal.

I had three I raised from chicks, I later adopted PomPom and Lightbulb (already grown and laying). I had to rehome my original three and then I was left with just PomPom and Lightbulb. PomPom and Lightbulb got along fine from the moment they came home with me. Not an “unbreakable bond” (like what i saw in my original three), but friends.
Shortly after I rehomed the three, Lightbulb went broody. When Lightbulb came out for her daily poop/eat/drink, PomPom and her were fine. Two weeks later PomPom went broody. Still fine. Each stayed in the nesting box next to each other. Babies came and the two havent gotten along since. To be expected i’m sure since they are protecting their families.
Currently, it seems all the babies would get along fine if it weren’t for the moms “separating them”. In the beginning when the babies were first born, i thought to myself “everyone would happily get along if the moms weren’t here”.

What do you mean by chased and pinned? Beaten? There is definitely chasing going on. And some bullying. Can you help me understand when enough is enough? Thank you.
I have two feeding/drinking stations in the run, and one in the coop. I will add one more to be safe!
Thanks again!!!!