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- #11
JellyrollBrahma
In the Brooder
She has been sitting for the full 21 days and her 3 eggs have begun hatching. She broke the one that was on its way to zipping. She heard the sounds and when I introduced her to them at night, I didn't show them to ger but snuck them under her. So what would be the big difference if it had hatched underneath her and was up and moving by morning? I guess I don't see your point of view 100%I'm not sure why you expect this hen to accept some chicks when she's still sitting on her own eggs.
Some might but.....
I get problems here if the chicks get in front of the sitting hen. The mother knows they shouldn't be there. She can't protect them there and she can't keep them warm there either while she is still trying to hatch eggs. So, she pecks at them to encourage them to get back underneath her. If they won't move, sometimes they can't make their way back underneath her because they are not mobile enough she pecks them more. I slide the chicks back under her rear end and everything is fine.
If you had just left her alone to get on with what she does best I don't think you would be having this problem. Some mothers do attack and kill their chicks but they are a small minority.