Update, new chicks, & is this normal?

[Tiggrsbounc]

My first experience with hatching was about 4 wks ago ( https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/798677/newbie-with-egg-development-hatching-concerns-questions ) and I wanted to give y'all an update on the chicken situation(s) here

Big Mama and her one lone chick are doing fine-it's amazing how fast the little buggers grow!
Little Mama laid 8 eggs and she and Big Mama shared nesting duties-Little Mama during the day and for some reason Big Mama would kick her off the nest some nights and take over.

So today I get a call from my hubs telling me we have a new addition. By the time I got home we had 2 chicks and 2 pipping. When we returned home from supper we had 3 chicks total with 2 pipping. The first chick to hatch was an adorable! yellow chick with a few black spots and the other 2 are black. I'm trying to resist the urge to go check on the 2 that are pipping...Little Mama resents being disturbed at 12:15 a.m... ok I cant resist the urge-going out when I finish this post.

The "is this normal" situation is this:

Big Mama ignored the new chicks right up until roosting time- 4 nests and they all roost in the corner one (its the largest). Then she proceeded to peck Little Mama and went after the chicks. Is it normal for hens to act this way?
I didn't want to take the chance of her hurting them so we moved Big Mama and her chick to a smaller pen. How long before we can put her back in with Little Mama, the chicks and Elvis (roo)?

I never realized raising chickens was so interesting! I want to eventually let them roam the pastures during the day but I need to have a little more chicken education before I proceed with that idea.

Julie

 

[sumi]

Congrats on the hatch! You say Big Mama "went after the chicks". Was she trying to "steal" the chicks or is she attacking them? Stealing chicks is normal, as is pecking chicks that are not theirs. Chickens are strange creatures and the range of "normal" behaviour is quite large.

I would suggest keeping the 2 moms and their chicks separate for a week or 2 and letting them both settle into their roles and get to know their babies. Once they got themselves sorted let them roam with the rest of the flock. A good broody will protect her chicks from the rest of the flock and from predators.

 

[Tiggrsbounc]

Thanks! We have 5 chicks this morning and 3 eggs that are "on hold". Not sure what's going on with them but when I previously candled all the eggs there were a few that I didn't think were going to hatch-giving them another day or two.
She was actually pecking the chicks as well as their mom. It's all good as of now since they are seperated and I will try them back together in a few wks. Thanks for the advice!
Julie