- Aug 21, 2014
- 27
- 2
- 26
Hi!
My Dutch Bantam hen went broody when we were on vacation. On a nest of several eggs, she only hatched one. It's now one week and one day old. They seemed to have been doing very well all week - getting out and about the yard as our flock free-ranges. Today I've been working at home and heard a frantic chick peeping. I went outside and the momma hen was pecking at the chick - I watched for just a few seconds and she pecked it multiple times, pecked at the ground, then literally picked the chick up by the fluff on its head and tossed it a bit. I grabbed the chick, which made momma hen very upset. So I grabbed her too - and settled them both into a brooder with a heat lamp, lots of food and water and have been keeping a close eye on them. They seem very content in there and momma hen has stopped pecking at the chick. Did I overreact? Was she just setting the chick straight about something? Seemed a little violent to me... should I be concerned that she has gone a bit loco and needs total separation? I'm wondering if she was stressed out about something. Today it's a bit chillier than it has been (upper 70s instead of 80s), she seemed VERY hungry when I put her in the brooder, plus my dearest 6yo son does have a tendency to chase the chickens all over the yard... he was in prime form this weekend. Though I must say that the local frog had it the worst this weekend, when he and his friend decided to teach it how to zipline... <sigh>...
My Dutch Bantam hen went broody when we were on vacation. On a nest of several eggs, she only hatched one. It's now one week and one day old. They seemed to have been doing very well all week - getting out and about the yard as our flock free-ranges. Today I've been working at home and heard a frantic chick peeping. I went outside and the momma hen was pecking at the chick - I watched for just a few seconds and she pecked it multiple times, pecked at the ground, then literally picked the chick up by the fluff on its head and tossed it a bit. I grabbed the chick, which made momma hen very upset. So I grabbed her too - and settled them both into a brooder with a heat lamp, lots of food and water and have been keeping a close eye on them. They seem very content in there and momma hen has stopped pecking at the chick. Did I overreact? Was she just setting the chick straight about something? Seemed a little violent to me... should I be concerned that she has gone a bit loco and needs total separation? I'm wondering if she was stressed out about something. Today it's a bit chillier than it has been (upper 70s instead of 80s), she seemed VERY hungry when I put her in the brooder, plus my dearest 6yo son does have a tendency to chase the chickens all over the yard... he was in prime form this weekend. Though I must say that the local frog had it the worst this weekend, when he and his friend decided to teach it how to zipline... <sigh>...
