So, Mama's babies were eaten by raccoon.. she seems very depressed :( What can I do?

[kerriliane]

two nights ago something got in an ate my hens two babies(4 weeks old).. since then she has been sleeping 30 feet up in a tree.
during the day she settles herself down right next to one of the mini coops that my hubs built for the mamas and new babies..
Is there anything I can do for her? She was probably the best mama hen I've ever had.

 

[madi99]

the only thing i would think of is to get her two new chicks... but i've never had a broody hen so i don't know for sure if they could replace her babies... is there any way you could get new chicks?

 

[kerriliane]

We have a poultry auction every week.. I was thinking of getting hubby to build another enclosed baby box (a 4x4 enclosed area with a nest box in it) and putting her in that, with a couple 3-4 week olds.. but I was worried she might kill them

 

[madi99]

that was my main concern.. that she wouldn't see them as "her chicks" and reject them...has she shown any aggression toward chicks before?

 

[HorseCrazyy]

I would get her some new babies she would most likely mother them immediately.

 

[HorseCrazyy]

I have done that with my hens they take them in like their own.

 

[kerriliane]

I would get her some new babies she would most likely mother them immediately.

I had her and another hen as neighbours.. and she snuck into the other hens enclosure, and killed ALL of her babies.


I would try it with two chicks, but how exactly would i go about this?
She sleeps in a tree at night.. I will have to find an enclosure to stick her in, and then sneak the babies under her at night?

 

[HorseCrazyy]

Thats not a bad idea. Maybe put some golf ball in her nest the first day them put the chicks there the next. She would believe she hatched them.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Thats not a bad idea. Maybe put some golf ball in her nest the first day them put the chicks there the next. She would believe she hatched them.

That's what I would do. I recently had a lot of hatching drama with my duck. There were fire ants in her nest on hatch day, so I had to pull the eggs and finish them in the incubator. I had a lonely chick who was the only survivor of my last hatch. I slipped him under her during the day and she tried to kill him. I put some other eggs under her so she would stay in the nest and slipped him back under her at night. She accepted immediately. Long story short, she is now mothering him and all 7 of her ducklings and doing a very good job.