My old hen will try to steal chicks even if she did not set on eggs...............I had the same problem with my last hatch. I'd never had two broodies before, but you live and learn. I think I ended up with such a horrible hatch rate because of the stealing going on. Now I know to separate them.
Now, if I could just get 4 out of my 19 eggs I'd be very happy!
Severely disappointing! Anything I can do or should do differently next time? I'd love the help from you veterans! She's a first time mom, so like me, she probably had no idea what she was doing other than instinct. If another starts to hatch, should I do something? HELP!
If you really think she is the one that is killing her chicks, I'd consider taking the rest of the eggs from her and putting them in an incubator. If you don't have one, I'd see if a neighbor has one that you can borrow until they hatch. I've never bator hatched, but there is a lot of advise on here about how to set it up and hatch in one. I'd candle the eggs before I move them to an incubator, just to make sure that they are still viable. If another hatches and you can get to it before she kills it, you can take it away from her and try to raise it. I don't think I've seen anyone on here who had a problem with hens killing their chicks, but I haven't really looked for that problem yet. Keeping fingers crossed for you!Hey there, we are brand new at this. We just adopted our family of 4 hens this past March. One of our hens has been laying on eggs for over 21 days (I believe we/the other hens put a few more eggs under her after she went broody). We had one hatch the other day and I think she pecked it to death? It died. And then today she had one hatch and it died. The other 7 eggs are still under her and she is still laying, but none have hatched.
wow, lets see who'd be the ugly "duckling" in her brood, i can imagine her rearing 3 different looking kinds of offsprings...
This is Sooks and her clutch she has
12 Turkey eggs due on the 3rd
6 Silver laced wyandotte eggs due on the 29th
6 mixed Bantam eggs due on the 26th
How funny! My chickens were chased by a dog once and I found three of them over with the neighbors chickens roosting in a tree.This is so off topic................but it is driving me nuts, so hope you will allow me a little slack.
My friend is moving out of state and asked if I would take his flock.6 hens and a rooster.
He brought them over Sunday.3 barred rocks,2 1/2 English Orps , 1 BLRW and a mixed rooster. Put them in a separate pen with access to a coop.
Yesterday when I let my English Orp flock out to free range, there was a big barred rock hen in with them????????????
Thought somehow one of the new ones must have flown over runs and joined the Orps.
Checked the pen with the new chickens....three barred rocks there...........quickly went back to the Orp pen
and the large Barred hen was there..............She appeared very happy and settled in. The Orps seemed to accept her..........
Making me crazy. I do not have a clue where that hen came from or how she got into the Orp pen....
Last night she strolled into the Orp coop and planted herself right next to the Roo...I swear she smiled at me.
Either someone put her in there...or she ran away from home and flew over the 6 ft. fence..................
She is quite beautiful, but am not happy to have her in with my English having not been isolated for disease.........
Thanks for listening................
Probably too late to worry about it now.... LOL. You might canvas the neighborhood to see if someone is missing a barred rock. But if your fences are higher than a hen could fly over she was probably dropped over on purpose....This is so off topic................but it is driving me nuts, so hope you will allow me a little slack.
My friend is moving out of state and asked if I would take his flock.6 hens and a rooster.
He brought them over Sunday.3 barred rocks,2 1/2 English Orps , 1 BLRW and a mixed rooster. Put them in a separate pen with access to a coop.
Yesterday when I let my English Orp flock out to free range, there was a big barred rock hen in with them????????????
Thought somehow one of the new ones must have flown over runs and joined the Orps.
Checked the pen with the new chickens....three barred rocks there...........quickly went back to the Orp pen
and the large Barred hen was there..............She appeared very happy and settled in. The Orps seemed to accept her..........
Making me crazy. I do not have a clue where that hen came from or how she got into the Orp pen....
Last night she strolled into the Orp coop and planted herself right next to the Roo...I swear she smiled at me.
Either someone put her in there...or she ran away from home and flew over the 6 ft. fence..................
She is quite beautiful, but am not happy to have her in with my English having not been isolated for disease.........
Thanks for listening................
