Will their children do it?

[rancher hicks]

If a hen kills her chicks like I've been reading will she carry a "psycho kill my chicks" gene? Will she do it everytime she broods chicks? Can her sons pass on the "psycho kill my chicks" gene?

 

[FluffyColor]

If the hen kills her chicks her children er,uh,up.....wont be around to do it?

 

[fla_native]

Quote:
I dont care what you say....thats funny right there!

 

[FluffyColor]

Quote:
I dont care what you say....thats funny right there!

*sigh*

If the hen is killing her chicks,the chicks wont live to hatch out chicks of thier own,therefore they won't have the chance to kill thier chicks.

 

[3KillerBs]

Given the existence of incubators and brooders, its not really that dumb a question.

Before a person goes to the effort of rescuing the killer hen's chickens and using a brooder to raise them up as the next generation it would be useful to know if the killer trait were genetic -- dooming you to perpetual use of incubators and brooders -- or not.

 

[Akane]

Usually these traits do have some genetic component. How much really varies. There are so many environmental factors that could contribute or that could help keep it from happening. It would be safer to say if you raise chicks from a hen that kills her chicks and you have them try to take care of their chicks in the same situation they are more likely to kill their chicks. If you put them in an entirely different situation such as seperated from the flock in a quiet place versus incubating and hatching them in the coop then it might not happen.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well your all very funny. I guess i deserved that. Anyhow I have a broody who sat on one and smoothered it. I rescued the other. So if it's a hen will it be a bad broody? That's what I meant. What if you rescue the chicks BEFORE phsyco mom has a chance to kill them?
Should I let this hen brood again or not?