what is mama hen doing?

alisha

In the Brooder
8 Years
Jun 25, 2011
12
0
22
we have our mama hen in with the baby chicks now a week old. we have them seperated in the garage. but i have notices that whenever i put in food in a container she scratches it over right away, same with water. also when she is scratching she sometimes kicks the baby chicks. i am not sure this is good/ normal behaviour or not, but i am worried about the babies. any reason as to why she is doing this? thanks!
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mine did this too. We had a waterer so she didn't spill that but the food she always scratched out. I think maybe she thought she was helping them get it??? She also kicked them quite often, they soon realized to get out of the way! All of mine turned out fine. Wouldn't worry.
 
Under natural conditions the scratching is how she would be digging up and locating food for her chicks. It is simply a normal, instinctive behavior that she is carrying out under the artificial situation that she finds her self in. All will be fine with her and the chicks. Get her out into a pen as soon as is possible.
 

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