took chicks away from mama...

[technodoll]

My orpington hen sat on a clutch of silkie eggs, 11 out of 13 hatched into pretty babies

(except for one born with a birth defect, which I had to cull...)

Babies were born Wednesday, today is Saturday.

I had to take her away from the babies as she was making a complete mess in the pen, hiding the food and water with piles of wood shavings endlessly scratching and viciously attacking the 3 other babies (of the same age) that I had put under her yesterday as they need either a mom or a broody box.

Also, I picked up 4 BLRW chicks today and I'm super limited in space, I could not risk that hen killing them so I did the sensible thing and put ALL the babies in one safe place and removed the mom.

Chicks are all doing splendidly, thank goodness

My question: how long until mama's hormones return to normal? Am I damaging her in any way? She's back in the coop, nobody's attacking her, she's scratching around and eating but is all puffed up, bohk-bohk-bohkking, looking for her babies. I feel so cruel yet I had to put the babies' safety first!

 

[dappertophatter]

I had to do that too for the exact same reasons, except my girl wasn't attacking them*sniff sniff, I still feel nasty and it's been almost a year* It took her, oh, under 2 weeks? I can't remember exactly. Have heart! The trauma's almost over!