Peahen has sudden taken to attacking her 3 month old chicks!

[Steph T]

Hi, I need some advice. I keep a mixture of birds and poultry, free range at home.
My peahen hatched 3 chicks and has been an amazing mother, taking excellent care of them until the last couple of days.
One chick seemed a bit subdued and the next day the hen started to distance herself from them.
Now she is chasing and attacking them. Can anyone help me deal with this sudden change in behaviour?
They have total freedom to wander in a rural environment and in all I have 8 peafowl.

 

[two j farm]

I don't know much about pea hens but maybe it's time they make it on the own. She may be letting them know she don't want to take care of them like when they was little. And she's putting them in there place on the pecking order. Have no idea but I have seen mama hens do that in my pen when the chick get older. Could be like a dog in a way she is weaning them off.

 

[Midnightman14]

The maternal instinct in peafowl usually starts wearing off at this point. I would separate them until they are older and used to being away from the mother.

 

[Pfauenfreund]

This is not usual, normally a hen leads the chicks until to the next spring. Then it is normal that they shoo away the chicks.

Last year I had a similar situation and I was wondering what is happen. The reason was the hen started two week later a second time to lay eggs and breed. This is absolutely unusual, but other breeders hat the same situation last year. It looks that last year something has disturbed the biological rhythm of the hen.