About 3+ weeks ago, I ordered a dozen hatching eggs. Five hatched last Wednesday. I gave 2 chicks to a broody (named Red) and kept 3 indoors to be hand-raised. Red had been sitting on 6 eggs for weeks but they hadn't hatched. I ended up candling them and bringing them inside to put in the incubator. Three have since hatched. Anyway, I've owned Red for about 3 years. She has been broody in the past but this is the first time I've ever let her raise chicks. So far, she's done pretty good with them. Except last night. She apparently abandoned 1 of the chicks outside last night. I have a 2x4 across the bottom of the door frame to the chicken house to keep the goats from getting inside the coop because I keep free-choice pellets in there. It is possible or even likely that the chick couldn't get over the 2x4 and possibly was scared away from the door by other adults. My DH came inside and mentioned that one of the chicks was outside. I went running out there to find some older juvenile chicks (3-4 months old) were picking on the poor thing mercilessly. I mean picking her up and tossing her around. She wasn't injured but I'm pretty certain if I had not walked outside, she would likely have been pecked to death.
I managed to catch her after a bit of chase and took her inside the coop. Red immediately accepted her back and both chicks are outside with Red this morning.
What do you think I ought to do? Nothing? Just keep an eye out? Take them away from her?
