NY chicken lover!!!!

[featherz]

I wonder what causes a hen to kill her chicks...I have chicks due to hatch in the next few days *fingers crossed* and she is first time broody so I'm a little worried. She is in the corner of a shed with only her friend another silkie and my unstable drunken roo. I just have my fingers crossed that I have a good hatch and she doesn't kill them.

I am fairly positive that with my dead chick problem it was the non broody's that killed the chicks. I felt horrible for the broody moms. =( Every other year I keep chicks in with the other chickens and have never had a problem, but this year I think my moms are just too 'nice'. All my broodies let me handle them and maybe that's translating to being too wimpy and not able to scare off the more dominant hens.

 

[AQHAchick22]

Quote:
Thats a good point, I think with my EE who had the baby die the other hens killed it... At least with this one it's just the 3 of them and she is the dominant hen and VERY protective so that works in her favor...as I said fingers crossed! Today is day 19...

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

This was my mothers day gift but it was only 2" tall a months worth of compost and rain it's almost 3ft and it turn out to be a climber so I need to build something for it climb on. I wish I knew what kind of plant it is it's a bean of some sort. It was a class project my sons fourth grade class, handed to me in pint milk carton. The best and only mothers day gift and now I get to show it off! And suggestions on how to keep it going strong more than welcome.

I would say it is a pole bean. You can put a garden stake in next to it and it will climb it.

 

[JLaw]

I wonder what causes a hen to kill her chicks...I have chicks due to hatch in the next few days *fingers crossed* and she is first time broody so I'm a little worried. She is in the corner of a shed with only her friend another silkie and my unstable drunken roo. I just have my fingers crossed that I have a good hatch and she doesn't kill them.

Sorry but I have to ask. What is an unstable drunken roo? Is it mad all the time? Or does it walk sideways?

 

[rancher hicks]

The outside area is still messy. I need to clean up the construction equipment and stuff, also need to fix the roof but it works for now.

Looks nice to me.

 

[rancher hicks]

yte4u
The broody's that have killed their young are Black Copper Marans and EE's. I had a sizzle sit for a very, very long time but our temps were consistently below 10 for a long time. She might have succeeded if I had left her alone. Both BCM and EE literally ate the hatched chicks. They were so gross!

I did find a dead chick in the nest box the other day but I figure it got stepped on either by the hen or anther bird coming in to lay her egg. This is why it's good that they have their own space.

I can't say why this happened with your birds. They are all different. My EE's are the worst. They definitely want to be left alone. Mine have drawn blood trying to keep me from messing about. I wear a glove now when I collect eggs.

I've gotten myself in trouble many times for admonishing people about poking around under the hen. Some, present company excluded, seem to think they have to assist her. That just is not the case. Some hens are better at hatching than others too.

But don't be discouraged and just get back up on the horse, as they say.

Never give up, never surrender - Commander Taggert, Galaxy Quest

Rancher

 

[AQHAchick22]

Quote:
I think he got some sort of a head injury or spinal injury so he walks sideways all the time now. He stumbles around like a drunkard and sometimes when he shakes himself off he falls over. It's sad to watch but he seems very happy except he's a little tipsy. He's been like that for over 6 months now.

 

[rancher hicks]

I wonder what causes a hen to kill her chicks...I have chicks due to hatch in the next few days *fingers crossed* and she is first time broody so I'm a little worried. She is in the corner of a shed with only her friend another silkie and my unstable drunken roo. I just have my fingers crossed that I have a good hatch and she doesn't kill them.

Well it's been said, "Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young", but I don't think that applies to chickens.

I could be another bird that does it too. I pulled a chick from the CR / Orp coop because a CR hen pecked at the chick. That's why I traded it to Breella.

My best guess would be either a nutritional imbalance or fear for the chick. This is why it's best to always avoid messing about under her. There are of course exception like my Buckwheat. She don't mind me messing about. Never bites.

I usually candle at least once on day 7 - 10. Then they are on their own.

Some breeds just don't make good broody moms. I'd say the tops are Silkies, Cochins, Orps and Dels, or not depending on how you view things. EE's , BR's, Dom's and Sussex don't like you messing with the kids. Just stand back and let them do what they gotta do. At least this has been my experience.

I just let them sit and if they starve to death so be it. I don't advocate poking around under there. This last batch hatched when they hatched. I didn't mark the calender , I just left the girls to do their thing. I expect there might be a couple more in the next few days. Then I'll pull the unhatched eggs and toss them. I've plenty of chickens.

Stories book of breeds gives some insight into the personality of the breeds.

 

[miquwid]

Tabs thanks I will do that.

I can see other chickens going after the babies, I got six that just don't get to go near young ones until they are close in size.

Of my give babies three are alive and extremely well. My silkies are laying again but now it's everywhere I'm surprised that eggs aren't being destroyed. Anyway my barred rock has yet to resume laying. Back to yard work

 

[Breella]

Well it's been said, "Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young", but I don't think that applies to chickens.

I could be another bird that does it too. I pulled a chick from the CR / Orp coop because a CR hen pecked at the chick. That's why I traded it to Breella.

And it is growing like a little beast. Towering over the silkie chick by maybe two or three times its height.