Preventing chick attack from flock

CommanderCody

Hatching
Aug 15, 2018
7
3
6
C5FE2AA0-88F8-4368-AFD6-8AE8DF28768B.jpeg
My hen has become broody it’s been about a week since she has been sitting on the eggs, I’m excited and prepared for these new chicks, but I don’t not want to move my hen because then she’s will stop sitting on the eggs, so the chicks will hatch inside the coop and suggestions for the chicks not to be attacked by the flock
 
How high up on the pecking order is she?

I’ve had a hen successfully hatch four chicks when I went on vacation. She was lead hen and managed to protect all her chicks.

However I wouldn’t recommend this. If you don’t want to move her now I would defiantly close off a space for her and her newly hatched brood when the time comes.
Yes it’s possible she can keep them safe, however it’s possible she can’t.
Also have a plan B (brooder, heat lamps, ect) In case she abandons the new chicks.

If you want to let her handle the babies around the other chickens I’d just suggest keeping an eye on them.
How good is your rooster?
My barred rock rooster would help protect chicks from other hens however that’s not always the case with Roos.
 
How high up on the pecking order is she?

I’ve had a hen successfully hatch four chicks when I went on vacation. She was lead hen and managed to protect all her chicks.

However I wouldn’t recommend this. If you don’t want to move her now I would defiantly close off a space for her and her newly hatched brood when the time comes.
Yes it’s possible she can keep them safe, however it’s possible she can’t.
Also have a plan B (brooder, heat lamps, ect) In case she abandons the new chicks.

If you want to let her handle the babies around the other chickens I’d just suggest keeping an eye on them.
How good is your rooster?
My barred rock rooster would help protect chicks from other hens however that’s not always the case with Roos.
My chickens are kind of oblivious to my broody chicken they don’t really care but I don’t want a chick to be attacked when I’m unaware
 
Yes a chicken won’t pay much attention to a broody BUT when they hatch those chickens will be very curious.

How is your rooster? Is he friendly?
He’s a nice chicken I haven’t reall
Yes a chicken won’t pay much attention to a broody BUT when they hatch those chickens will be very curious.

How is your rooster? Is he friendly?
He is a nice rooster, I used to have but then all my roosters got violent to the hens but after I removed those 2 roosters he’s been nice to the hens and watching over them
 
Good that’s good.
My barred rock gets very protective over chicks and won’t attack people but flares up at them. So that’s something to keep an eye on.
Again, when they hatch I’d desperate them if any issues arise. I’ve never had problems with roosters hurting or killing chicks BUT I’ve lost several to curious hens.
So if you get the chance I’d watch them closely and see the behavior of the adult hens, if they show too much interest (in the form of picking or biting) I’d defiantly seperate them. If this is your first hatch I know how hard it can be with questions.
Better safe then sorry. If the broody is top of pecking order her chicks might not even be messed with.
 
this is what I did, I kept the chicken in the brooder on hatch day, I lost one chick as the other chicken pulled her through the wire, so I double wire the brooder, I kept the brooder in the chicken house so that all the chickens got to see the baby chicks without harming them. when they were just over 1 week old I let them out in the run with the others but in a safe pen so that they could see but not touch, after a week of that I let them all out together, everything went smoothly, I only had one who would chase them but she soon stopped. good luck
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom