who killed the chicks

[mother hen 13]

My broody hen was sitting on three eggs
2 must have hatched in the night they had both been pecked and were dead
The cockerel had been in the hen house on a previous hatch but he never touched the chicks
This was not the same hen
She is in a box he sometimes sleeps in
Do you think he killed them or do I have a hen pron to infanticide ?
Have made it so he can not get in the box as she is sitting on the last egg do you think its safe ?

 

[sumi]

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss. In my experience the cockerels are great with chicks, but the new moms can be unpredictable. I've had hens kill newborns, abandon week-olds and hang on to their "chicks" until they were 4 months old. If the cockerel has previous experience with the chicks and the hen is a new mother I'd say it's likely she's the killer.

 

[iwiw60]

So sorry about the newborn chicks. You may very well have a homicidal hen there. Some hens go broody, sit and hatch, do all the normal things a broody does, and then when the chicks hatch an unknown 'something' happens and they attack and kill their young. If you end up discovering that she is indeed what they call a "homicidal hen" it would be best if you don't allow her to sit/hatch again because you will get the same results each time. I highly doubt the rooster did this.

 

[mother hen 13]

Thank you for your input. I think you are right George the cockerel has never been aggressive ( my children hand feed him grapes )
Last night I performed a sneak attack to save the last egg.
I removed it and gave her one from the supermarket.
Put her last egg under my best hen who is also sitting. Shes kept her last chicks till they were to big to get under her wings and then some.
Lets hope the hatch times co inside.
black hen is also sitting next to her so hope that goes wel.l

 

[cluckcluckluke]

What colour are these chicks? I have had broody's in the past that will actually kill all the black downed chicks and leave all the other colours.
This is why I now have White Leghorns and not Minorca's.

 

[mother hen 13]

Those were her eggs grey like her. All the chickens in that pen are orpingtons. But one black two grey and one buff cock coo hen.cockerel is grey cock coo. but he is a split g so throws up buff off spring.

 

[mother hen 13]

Update good grey chicken and black chicken sat happy and hatched 10 chicks.
Then nightmare black chicken began attacking chicks.
This happened while I was at work but lucky for chicks my daughter (15) saw what was going on and shut black chicken out of the hen house.
I have now removed good grey chicken and 9 of the chicks to the feed store at the back of the chicken house they are corralled in the corner with the side of an old cot. And seem ok.
One chick she pecked quite badly. we have it in the house under a heat lamp. If it recovers do you think I can put it back with good grey hen ?
Why are they behaving like this? My brother in law thinks its the heat wave we've been having ? I hope he is right or I have 2 crazy hens.

 

[iwiw60]

It sounds to me like 'black chicken' is definitely a homicidal broody hen and should not be allowed to brood or hatch.

 

[mother hen 13]

I cant believe I have two hens that are such bad mothers. I thought orpingtons were supposed to be good.
Only my dear little grey hen seems to be any good, And all my little white pekins< who have had 5 clutches this year ( only 2 eggs per clutch but they are very small.)
Perhaps grey hens daughter who she raised in November ! will be a good mother next year. If I can stand the stress!

 

[sumi]

I'm sorry to hear you are having such problems. If the injured chick have visible wounds dab some blukote on it before putting it back with mom. Otherwise the other chicks will keep pecking at her wounds. Good luck!