mother seems to be attacking chick

[gilly]

we only have two chickens and one chick, the mother and chick have been seperated from the other one for 6 weeks in the last week the mother seems to be attacking the chick when they go in for the night. this morning in the eglu it sounded as though it was attacking the chick again. please help

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Do you think she senses there's something wrong with the chick?

 

[gilly]

chick is very healthy, mother has started laying again could that be the cause? can i seperate them?

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Sounds like Mom has decided to move on, like Mama dogs do with their large pups. I don't know if she'll hurt it enough to do damage, but it seems that it would get the hint sooner or later. The youngster can live on his own now, though he'll be very unhappy about it.

I wonder if anyone on here has experience with Mama hens killing their young just so they can move on...

 

[Marlinchaser]

I have never had one peck one to death, but I have seen them give a good don't hang around with me any more peck a time or two. Once momma has decided it is done with chicks she usually just walks away and leave baby to fend for itself, then from that point on the chick is just another chicken so if it gets in her way/ trys to take food from her, trys to get next to her at night..... all those things that she allowed for the last 6+ weeks are now no longer allowed. Confusing for the chick, but a couple pecks and the chick should relize its no longer baby, and has been relegated to bottom of the pecking order.

 

[Mom2Cool]

I have Buff Orpingtons & I had a hen leave her chicks at 4 wks old. I had not separated the hen & chicks by putting them in a different coop but I just blocked off a portion of the reg. coop while they were just hatched chicks with her. They had been free ranging the yeard with her from the 2nd day after hatching & everyone seems to be doing fine but NOW that that hen has decided she is NOT their mom she is just brutal to them. She does NOT want them any where near her on the roost at night. I don't mind saying that my Buff Orpingtons are the *sweetest breed* you'll ever see & the Rooster I have has just been a darling with the chicks but watching the mom after she decides she is NOT a mom anymore congers up images of Joan Crawford in my mind & I wonder how a sweet heart can go so cold in the turn of a day.... And then I see myself & others I know with kids struggling to get started & we help, help, help some more & I wonder if we shouldn't all just take a page from the book of these hens? LOL


It's so hard not to intervein, but I keep telling myself it's a pecking order & I have to let them work it out.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Quote:
Makes me wonder, do you call this BO hen "Joan"?? Or is it Ms. Crawford???? Or better yet, Mommy Dearest?

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

My hen ate her chicks so be very careful if she is acting that way I would take it away from her.

 

[gilly]

thank you all for replying, i have seperated them and the chick seems ok at the moment. she is eating well and settled down last night without too much trouble

 

[Barred Rocker]

My bantam hen will peck at her chicks when she stops being broody, after about 5 or 6 weeks. Usually just when they're competing for food, she doesn't go out of her way to attack them but doesn't want them close which is very confusing for the chicks. That's when she gets the boot and goes back in with the roosters.