MY SILKIE HAS ATTACKED HER CHICK!

[kellysmall87]

Hi, What the hell is my silkie doing attacking her chick? She's caved it's head in and pecked it's side. I've taken it away from her and put it in a brooder and the remaining egg is in the bator.
Why has she done this? I thought they made good mums? This is her first time, shes 10-12 months old.

 

[speckledhen]

How old is the chick now? I assume since you mentioned the bator, it's newly hatched. Did she hatch it herself? Was she broody or did you hatch it and give it to her?

At a few weeks old, the hens usually start to drive the chicks away by pecking and chasing. Some hens kill them as soon as they hatch; some never make good mothers.

 

[kellysmall87]

Newly hatched and she's been sitting on the eggs since the start. She just turned on it. I doubt he/she will make it, I think she's cracked its skull. She still is broody now - still sitting on the nest even though i've taken the egg and chick away.

 

[speckledhen]

She may kill every one as it hatches. You may have to remove the eggs and try to break up her broodiness. Some hens just do that, no rhyme or reason. They act like the thing that came out of the egg is an invader.

 

[kellysmall87]

Thanks for the post. The chick looks like it's going to make it and the egg i took away hatched last night and it's fine.

She's still on the nest box though, growling at me! Do i shut the nest box off?

 

[Gersbud]

When my chickens go broody and I want to break them, I usually only take them out of their nesting box and put them out in the run with rest of the girls. They don't like it and do return to the box(I do this a few times a day) but after a few days of disturbing them like this the stop.

 

[kellysmall87]

I tried shutting her coop off today and opened the other one for her, but she went mental!! So i'll keep doing as you advised and keep taking her off her nest.