Why my hen is feather pecking her own baby chick?

tomiko2012

Hatching
5 Years
Feb 3, 2014
7
0
7
I decided to set an egg from another breed to my silky hen when it was broody. The chick hatched and everything was okay. Suddenly the hen started feather pecking her own baby chick. Is that normal? I separated the chick from the hen to avoid her killing the chick. At first she went crazy, but she didn't stop pecking it. The chick is changing the feathers now. Is the hen helping on the molding?
 
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Is she pulling them out or preening? It is normal for them to preen their chicks and it looks the same except they don't pull the feathers out. It is not normal for them to be plucking the feathers out. If the chick is not protesting and mom isn't plucking I wouldn't worry about it. Mom freaked out when you separated them because it is her job to care and protect them.
 
Yes, I'd like to know also.
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The chick was protesting. She was pulling out the baby feathers and ate them. It was weird. I separated the chick 'cuz I was afraid she might killed the chick. But I pitty them, the chick still in need of her mom's love.
 
you did the right thing in taking the chick away from her. Can you get a second chick to raise with this one so it won't be alone? Better for it to be artificially brooded than to allow Mama to slowly pick it to death. I'm guessing that she is lacking protein. If you ever allow her to set eggs again, try giving her at least 2 or 3... how ever many she can comfortably cover completely. When she goes broody, see to it that she has a good amount of animal protein in her diet... perhaps some liver or scrambled eggs. If she picks her next batch of chicks, I'd never let her brood again.
 
I'm giving her scrambled eggs, but not every day. I once gave her raw eggs and it was a mistake. She developed an egg eating problem that I solved by taking out the eggs early.
 

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