Sad Day for Brand New Chick :-(

[chickenlips1954]

I have a Silky sitting on three eggs due to hatch tomorrow. Today when I checked on her she was off the nest and I found a fluffed chick that she had pecked to death. It was so pretty, too. A mix of white Frizzle hen and Multicolor roo. I was so looking forward to seeing what the chicks would look like. I moved her two other eggs under an Americana banty that is also broody and has two eggs, also due to hatch. I can hear them peeping and pecking inside their eggs. Darn Silky!!! So....guess what we had for dinner??? CHICKEN!!!! No, not the Silky, but I'll never trust her with chicks again.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

So sorry!!

 

[Mahonri]

Dang.

Garbage happens.

 

[chickenlips1954]

Thank you I'm now on chick watch all through the night to retrieve any of the other chicks that hatch under the Americana since these are her first hatching eggs, too. Don't know if she'll be good to her babies or not. Sure wish that coop was closer to the house! And I hear coyotes howling, too. Gives me the willies!

 

[chickenlips1954]

Yippee! Went out at 4:30am and a chick had hatched, so I brought it into the brooder box in the garage. The remaining 3 also hatched throughout the day. I gathered them up during my hourly chick watch and put them in the brooder box, also. Three are tiny cochin banties and one is a regular Americana X chick.

 

[Lov'emSouthernEggs]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Don't be so hard on Mamma though...sometimes they know things that we don't. It may have been sick. I'd give her a second chance.

 

[suebee]

I've had this happen before. You would think ALL silkies would hatch perfect and be great mothers. NO, this isn't the case. I had one peck the chick to death.
Now I'm scared to try new silkie moms..I keep letting the same "good mom" hatch, even though the others are broody. So sorry.

 

[chickeypoo]

i had a silkie/sebright mix hen that was dumb with her babies too. she either left them cold or pecked them to death. made me mad. so she never got eggs again. even when she pecked at me. i still took the eggs from her haha

 

[Lov'emSouthernEggs]

I wouldn't listen to me! Send that girl packing.

I don't have Silkies. A friend wants to give us some fertil eggs...heard they were good broodies.

 

[moon.mom]

You've scared me with your tale, but I agree that sometimes the hen knows when something is wrong with the chicks. Deserting the nest is grounds for fricasee, though! Good thing you had backup.

I bought silkie eggs specifically to raise the hens as brooders. Only one hatched, and it is TOO CUTE to be a boy ... but probably is!