Soon after my hatch - my foolish mistake causes fatal disaster :(

[MIKE555444]

I had a broody hatch about a week ago and then my bator finished hatching a few days ago. Being there was only 10 from the bator I got what I thought would be a great idea. I gave the 10 new babies to my hen and week old chicks. She took them like they were her own… So I thought it was great. Went out for a few hours and when we came back I could not believe my eyes… It was horrible. She had started killing the new baby chicks…out of the ten new ones there was already 5 of them dead. She not only killed them but she pretty much took there heads off!!!!

I lost the only 2 SLW out of the batch, a couple of my project chicks, and one Golden Comet. Being afraid that she would kill more I regrettably took her back to the hen house and fixed a warm place for the remaining chicks to live by themselves. I didn't want to even leave her with her own chicks after the upset.

I WAS SO UPSET with my foolish mistake!! I’ll never make this mistake again

 

[M To The Maxx]

I am so sorrry for your losses!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

I am so sorry. Thank you for warning all of us who might have tried it too.

 

[EweSheep]

Did you give her the chicks during the day? If so, it may be the problem.

Also I see that you had a week old chicks with her???? That also could have been a problem as well.

Sometimes to "check" a broody momma and her receptive to accept baby chicks are one of those tests that we have to take a chance on. I sure did lost a few because I didnt know how the momma is going to react, the situations, the surroundings and so forth.

Don't give up just yet. Give her one more chance before you decide it is not a good idea to introduce new chicks to her from the incubator.

 

[chixie]

I am sorry for your loss...

 

[MIKE555444]

I'm pretty sure the bigest mistake was her having the week old chick. She may have been "protecting" her babies.

I won't risk loosing any more now. I should have done it during a time that I could have watched her more closely.

 

[Katy]

The "safest" time to do it is at night....by just slipping them under her in the dark. The week age difference certainly didn't help.

 

[evonne]

aawww.. sorry bout your chickies...

but like was said, thanx for posting so the rest of us who wouldn't have known now know..

 

[Happy Chooks]

Oh how awful. I'm so sorry.

 

[Junkmanme]

It wouldn't have helped to watch her more closely. I had a hen "almost" take the head off a chick I was holding in my hands (not HER chick).

Sorry 'bout your loss. Fortunately, chicks are not difficult to replace.

-Junkmanme-