Need help with babies!!

[jscott5510]

3rd baby chick just hatched. Momma started pecking at it, and now it has a cut on it's head! What do I do and WHY is she pecking it?? Is it because I touched it? I recently moved them, mom and eggs into a separate cage away from the other hens and rooster. Is this my fault?? PLEASE HELP!! Thank you!

 

[mithious]

3rd baby chick just hatched. Momma started pecking at it, and now it has a cut on it's head! What do I do and WHY is she pecking it?? Is it because I touched it? I recently moved them, mom and eggs into a separate cage away from the other hens and rooster. Is this my fault?? PLEASE HELP!! Thank you!

Why did you move them? Was there a problem with the other chickens and them? It could be a number of things...the chick might have something wrong with it that you can't tell, but momma can, could be moving them...are you staying right there with her? Momma chickens want to be left alone for this process. Yes, you might lose a few to natural selection, but best to leave momma alone and let her figure things out. Especially if she wasn't picking at the first two that hatched!!!

Back when I was breeding, I would leave the momma's right in the coop, leave them alone, and let things fall as they may, as I believe a momma chicken knows how, what, ect way more than I do...they like a nice dark corner, and to be left alone!

Good luck with your new chicken family!!! Hope things work out for your momma hen and her chicks!

 

[jscott5510]

Well I moved them because my coop is 2ft off the ground and I couldn't leave the doors open for the others to get in and lay because I didn't want the babies to fall out! I moved her entire nesting box with the eggs and babies into a really big dog crate. My husband said she had pecked at the first two also when they would start moving away from her, but she actually cut this one! I am not sure if it was an accident, which is now my guess now that I know she had pecked the other two as well. And no, I haven't been bothering her! I just checked on her earlier because the newest baby was just hatched out!

 

[mithious]

I really don't know what to tell you, except that momma hen will "pick" at the babies a bit to teach them to stay put and not leave her. ( amongst other things) That's why it's so much easier to let the momma's raise the chicks, as momma will teach them everything they need to know...

I don't know your coop set up, but would think, if you have a ramp for your other hens to come and go from the coop, mamma hen would teach her babies how to manage that also...plus leaving them in the coop is best because you don't have to reintegrate them back into your flock. Momma will protect them from the other chickens. Try to atleast keep them in the line of site of the rest of your flock and that might help a bit with that part.

Just make sure you have food and water that the chicks can reach near by, momma can eat that too, since she won't be laying, just raising the chicks...and wish you the best!!! Mamma will know when to start teaching them to eat and drink also.

You seem to have it under control, try not to worry too much, and remember, chickens have been hatching out chicks for thousands of years...they really don't need us much

except to provide food and water when penned in...

Best of luck!

 

[mithious]

Just to let you know how resilient they are. My daughter had a hen disappear and show back up with 16 chicks in tow....they did find where she had hatched out the lot...under an old piece of metal roofing, in the woods. She wanted to be left alone, so took off, had her chicks, and when she was done, brought them back, all healthy and safe.

When my daughter found the nest, there were 4 eggs that didn't hatch still in the nest in the woods. ( only way they knew where she had the nest ) I've read similar stories, on here, by other OP's with the same results

 

[jscott5510]

Thanks for the help! Should I leave the hurt one with her? I really think she may kill it, and I know it's a part of nature, but I feel like it is horrible!!

 

[mithious]

Thanks for the help! Should I leave the hurt one with her? I really think she may kill it, and I know it's a part of nature, but I feel like it is horrible!!

That is totally up to you. If it were me? I would, even if she did kill it... think about this, if there is something wrong with the chick, something you can't tell by looking at it, and the momma knows ( and they do know ), are you ready to take on the responsibility of raising a "special needs" chick/chicken? and what if taking the chick away from the mother ends in it's death anyways? but wayyy slower?

If it were my decision, I would wait and see what she does, if she attacks the chick further and you just can't take it, it's your chicken...so your decision!

Another thing to think about...chicks don't do good on their own, so you would have to provide atleast one other chick for that one, and if it died, then another chick for the one that was supposed to be there for the picked chick...and most likely, if the momma is rejecting the chick now, she won't take it back later, even if it IS healthy...and might not take back the healthy one you provided it with either...

I probably sound cold hearted to you, but I am truly not. I just try to think the whole process through and what I am willing to do. We are all responsible for our decisions...good, bad, or otherwise...raising a special needs chicken, IMHO is a VERY hard thing to do!!! I do not, and will not, go down that road. but again, that is me, not you...and these are your chickens and chicks...so you must decide what and how far you are willing to go.

I wish you the best in making the right decision for you!!!

 

[jscott5510]

Thank you so much for the help! I think I will just leave it in there and let her do with it what she will I guess! it is sad, but once again, it is nature! Thanks again! You have been helpful!

 

[mithious]

Very glad I could help!!! I do hope momma will change her mind too, but here's another

just incase!!!! Life is never easy, is it??? My prayer is that this kind of thing NEVER becomes easy for me...I never want to become cold hearted, but also need to be realistic!!!

My prayers are with you all!!!

 

[Majd]

Ok.... hi..... go observe her closely.... and see if she keeps pecking at them... if not leave them... if she does take them away... as some chickens don't have enough experience in raising chicks.... one of my broodies ince did that and we took the chicks away and the didn't have anything wrong with them and the pullets became laying hens and roos became dinner... so just see if she is still pecking at them when she sees them as some chickens freak out when they see chicks... and they think it's something unusual and peck it... just do that and keep us posted...