Mother hen pecking chicks.

[Pahlavinka]

First of all I should note that these chicks are about 5 weeks old. Their mother just started laying again a few days ago. Until a week ago she was a good mother to them. But I could tell she was getting sick of her chicks and the chicks from another hen. She ignored them a lot more. Now it seems they want her attention but when they approach her she pecks them. Usually multiple times because they don't run off from their mother. Will it get worse or is she trying to communicate that they need to back off? I'm new to hatching this way and don't know much so any advice is appreciated.

 

[BlueBaby]

First of all I should note that these chicks are about 5 weeks old. Their mother just started laying again a few days ago. Until a week ago she was a good mother to them. But I could tell she was getting sick of her chicks and the chicks from another hen. She ignored them a lot more. Now it seems they want her attention but when they approach her she pecks them. Usually multiple times because they don't run off from their mother. Will it get worse or is she trying to communicate that they need to back off? I'm new to hatching this way and don't know much so any advice is appreciated.

Yes, I think that she is trying to tell them to go their own way, that they are now on their own!

 

[tacothechicken]

Yup sounds like mom's ready to teach some independence, it's Also how now she's laying again she doesn't need older chicks about and the elders dont really need attention as it can do things and entertain itself and it's a risk for if she hatched out a second brood.They can easily trample them. At a few weeks they should be running away from mom not to her so shes probably annoyed XD

 

[50-45-1]

She is definately done with it. The chicks will figure it out soon and band together as a group. The rejection is hard to watch sometimes but she will not truly hurt them.

 

[Pahlavinka]

Thanks everyone. Since this post I now have another hen who is a mother to 2 week old chicks that already started to lay again. She left them in the corner of the coop to fend for themselves. Ugh. Guess that's just the way it goes.

 

[50-45-1]

What breed of chickens do you have? Just curious.
I have some Japaneese Bantams that i set standard size eggs under and these little girls continue to mother the chicks somtimes after they are bigger than she is.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

The hen who gave up on her chicks at 2 weeks is a bad mother. They need her heat for a couple more weeks. I wouldn't let her raise chicks if she keeps that kind of behavior up.

 

[Flockandfowl46]

I would consider putting the 2 week olds in a separated area where the have access to food and water also safety these should not be on their own yet. I also would not let that hen raise anymore

 

[Pahlavinka]

What breed of chickens do you have? Just curious.
I have some Japaneese Bantams that i set standard size eggs under and these little girls continue to mother the chicks somtimes after they are bigger than she is.

 

[ReliezFarm]

there are good and bad mothers, just like real life. some breeds are better mothers. I'm finding that the game hens are terrible. They will go broody, but don't let them sit. They don't do a very good job of raising their young. I've watched over the fence, how the neighbor started with 10 and little by little there were only 3 left. those three now moved into my yard and hang with my birds. better food? If the mother ignores or doesn't keep the babies warm and the outside/night temps are cold, they will die. just like in the incubator they need 95F first week and lowered 5 every week. so what I did was to isolate the mommy in a portion of the coop with food/water and her babies, so they would be somewhat protected and know where to get their food/water by themselves. the mommy wanted to take the 1 wk old chicks on a tour of the yard, but they couldn't hardly get over the threshold of the coop, let alone walk through tall grass and shrubs. Also if you have a ramp ladder to the nesting box, the babies might fall out and not be be able to return to the warmth by themselves. I've rescued a few that were very cold.