Will momma reject a chic because of color?

[Murs]

This is my first time letting a broody hen hatch. It's the hens first time too. I didn't have a rooster so I got four fertilized eggs locally. All four hatched today.

Three were golden and one was black. When I went out to check on them the black one was not under momma. And I noticed some wounds on the chic. I watched for a while and momma did not seem aggressive towards the chic but did not make any move to protect it.
I picked it up and brought it inside and it died soon after.

Was it rejected because it was the only black one?

 

[JeanR]

Every chicken is an individual. And some hens WILL reject a chick, if it is a different color than the rest. I had a White Silkie hen years ago, who would have killed a Black Silkie chick she hatched with her White ones, if I had not been there to rescue it. I raised it, first in a shoebox with a mirror, light over, for 95 degree temp (checked with a thermometer and temp dropped about 5 degrees. weekly,) and when the hen weaned her white chicks, I was able to put the Black one with the others--they did not mind--but that was just LUCKY. Sorry you lost the one--other hens might have been accepting....

 

[donrae]

I've had hens raise different colored chicks with no problems, but that doesn't mean it's not possible. I did have two hens that hatched clutches just days apart in the same coop, and the more dominant hen took a dislike to a specific chick of the beta hen's. She was aggressive enough to that particular chick the momma started being aggressive to it, also. I separated the hens and the beta momma took the chick back. The chick turned out to be a pullet, was a year old and laying well when I sold her last spring, so it's not like there was something wrong with it the alpha hen sensed. She just didn't like that one chick. Never cared a thing about the rest of the other hen's chicks.....

and just cause I like posting pics, here's a pic of the poor picked on chick, all grown up

 

[Murs]

I've had hens raise different colored chicks with no problems, but that doesn't mean it's not possible. I did have two hens that hatched clutches just days apart in the same coop, and the more dominant hen took a dislike to a specific chick of the beta hen's. She was aggressive enough to that particular chick the momma started being aggressive to it, also. I separated the hens and the beta momma took the chick back. The chick turned out to be a pullet, was a year old and laying well when I sold her last spring, so it's not like there was something wrong with it the alpha hen sensed. She just didn't like that one chick. Never cared a thing about the rest of the other hen's chicks..... and just cause I like posting pics, here's a pic of the poor picked on chick, all grown up

That may very well be what happened. My other hen came in and started eating from the feeder. So my broody hen started eating. The little black chick was trying to get under the broody hen. The other hen saw it , grabbed it and threw it. It landed on its back. Then the broody hen pecked at it so I grabbed it but the damage had already been done.

 

[centrarchid]

No. Hen knows chicks based on voice. Anything impacting chick voice can cause problems. Hen will ignore her chicks she can see but not hear but be very concerned about chicks she can hear but cannot see. A strange chick she can see but not hear is less likely to be attacked than one she can hear.

 

[txcarl1258]

I have had hens who rejected chicks of a "different" color and others who raised a rainbow of colors. It all depends on the hen. Recently my white muscovy hen rejected HER white babies, but kept the black and chocolate ones that came from shipped eggs. Go figure.

 

[centrarchid]

Look into term imprinting and what is required for it to occur. You will find the terms "window", "exposure" and "duration". Then consider how hen with poor mothering skills relates to the imprinting process.

You are much more likely to have poor mothering when you have been messing around with hen / chicks during the imprinting process or have stressed her. Both are very frequent with parties observing their first rounds of broody hens.

 

[Murs]

Look into term imprinting and what is required for it to occur. You will find the terms "window", "exposure" and "duration". Then consider how hen with poor mothering skills relates to the imprinting process.

You are much more likely to have poor mothering when you have been messing around with hen / chicks during the imprinting process or have stressed her. Both are very frequent with parties observing their first rounds of broody hens.

Hmm makes sense. I was not home when they hatched so I don't think I interfered with the imprinting process. Probably a good thing I wasn't home because I would have been out there.

When I got home one baby chic was outside the coop. I think the other hen took her out, I can't see how she would get out on her own. The black chic already had injuries.

I saw on another thread that someone said, "A chicken knows more about being a chicken than you do". Lol I keep repeating that and try to leave them be. But, I think I do need to separate the other hen. I only have two hens so I didn't think it would be a problem but the other hen is being aggressive.

Last night I closed off the coop and the aggressive hen got to sleep outside.
I started another thread asking if I should give her away and just keep mom and the chics.

 

[centrarchid]

I make it a point to keep broody hens separate during incubation as well as when chicks are off nest. Considerable strife can be realized when broody hens are commingled and likely factored into problems you observed.