New baby question.....

[ch1ckenmama]

We had a hen that we tried to break from being broody but she just would not give up so we let her sit in 3 eggs. Last Sunday only 1 hatched. The others we gave a few more days but they never hatched. Mama did great with this baby the first couple of days but then she started always scratching and searching for something (eggs maybe?) but while doing so she kept kicking her baby and knocking its food and water all over. It is really cold outside so we decided that baby would have a better chance of survival if we brought it in. Baby now is doing great and is eating/drinking really good. Its a little sweetheart. Mama seems to have settled down and is back to normal. What would have cause her to act like that? Maybe her other eggs not hatching? She doesnt seem upset that her live baby is gone either. This is the first time we let a hen try to hatch so not sure why she acted this way.

 

[fawndane]

Is there something wrong with the chick? Illness, deformities? Hens will act that way if they know something is wrong with the chick. Hens will also neglect chicks if they are small and weak.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sounds to me like she was foraging.

Was the chick constantly loud peeping at her?

Is she back to sleeping on the roost at night or still going to a box?

A single chick without a mum is a lonely chick.

What breed is your hen and chick? And how old is your "hen"?