Will brooding mothers try to hurt another brooding mother's chicks?

[PunkinPeep]

I have two b.o. mamas brooding 3 week old chicks. They have been successfully integrated with the flock for about two weeks and doing well.

Today, my b.r. broody's eggs hatched, and she was mistakenly on the floor of the coop with one of her chicks (that part has been fixed), and one of the b.o. mamas was after her. I couldn't tell for sure if she was attacking the b.o. mama or the baby. At first i thought the buff thought the b.r. had HER chick, but then later i wondered if one mother will try to hurt another mother's chicks.

Help?

 

[Bec]

Hmm, I don't know

My mommas have always shared the motherly duties. I hope someone can help you soon!!

 

[My Little Sister's Farm]

I have heard of hens stealing chicks from each other and trampling chicks or fighting to get more chicks. You may want to separate the 2 from the flock and keep separate from each other too.

 

[jennh]

My Betty Barnevelder went broody, then a couple of days later Henrietta BO went broody. Betty hatched her eggs, and Henrietta killed the chicks.

It MIGHT have been because I was trying to 'break" Henrietta, and not let her be broody??

Jen

 

[PunkinPeep]

Hmmm, interesting. Thanks for your responses.

It was very strange to me; Greta, the attacking buff, is my very gentlest hen, and she and Mathilde, whose chicks hatched with her, do share duties; i can't even tell whose are whose anymore.

Maybe i will just watch when they come in contact again. I have a feeling that Greta things the new chick is one of hers, but i will watch closely to make sure it isn't something different.

I think i will definitely separate the new mom with her babies for at least a few days. I have noticed that new mamas don't seem to quite click on their protective instinct for a couple of days - or mine haven't at least. When Greta attacked her this afternoon, Kuku (the barred rock) actually abandoned the chick to Greta. That scared me a lot.

 

[Namble]

I don't have the answer to your question but I need to know too because I have 4 broody hens!!!