Thursday, March 21, 2013
What do I do????
I moved the original mommy hen and the eight chicks to a very nice chicken tractor with a heat lamp. This morning two chicks were dead, both were the cutest of the bunch one was little squirty jr. the one I was trying to protect since it fell out of the nest earlier that day. Last night I had a feeling it was going to die because I saw the mother step on it really hard. Do I take the six remaining babies and bring them in? Do I let nature take it's course and see if she can be a better mom and quit stepping on them? I have went out there several times to bring them in and just leave them. They love their mom and I love seeing them all together. I just don't want to see anymore dead babies. What should I do?
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I have seen hens act strangely toward some chicks and I wonder if they can tell that something is wrong with them and they know to let them die. They rely so much on instinct that I don't know if there are good or bad ones. I never know what to do with them either. I guess you could put them back in the incubator on reduced heat to keep any that she doesn't take care of safe.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to bring them in. I think the stress of sooo many broody hens around the babies, stealing the babies and all that was just too chaotic! The ones she killed are the only ones I would have kept so I'm going to try to sell the rest, if they aren't too traumatized by the seperation. We shall see :/
DeleteKelly,
ReplyDeleteOh no, I'm sorry to hear that Mama has done this to her chick.
Have you tried e-mailing Homestead Lady? She may have information to help with this situation.
I've decided to bring them in. She isn't a good mother and I've worried for two days about them.
DeleteThis is another learning experience. I just hope the mother hen doesn't freak out too much.
ohh I am sorry. Once Ruger stepped on a baby kitten I was nursing, so I know it can be horrible.
ReplyDeleteI am no expert on chickens, but I would think to bring them in and put the babies in a incubator. Good luck!
It's frustrating for sure! It seems like non stop life and death these days. It tends to way heavy on the nerves.
DeleteI'm bringing them inside without the mother. I hope she doesn't go too nutty :/
Is it possible to bring them all in where you can monitor them? If you put them in a box or carrier in the house, you would hear if one starts cheeping because she's ignoring it. Some mamas just aren't that great at being a mama. Is this her first time?
ReplyDelete~L
It's her first time. She hatched in September and was the first one to start laying so she isn't really that old. I have six broody hens right now:/
DeleteSince she killed the two I would have kept I think I'm going to bring the rest in and sell them. I really don't need a million little bantam Cochins anyways.
Did they get food and water in time? When a chick is first hatched it has a yolk sack in its belly but within 24 hours at the longest 36 hours they need food and water...I was wondering if when they were with the mom they could get to food and water...I couldn't tell how high your next boxes were to see if they could get to it...many times a mom will let the chicks die if she still has eggs under her that are fertile, she will just continue to set..I haven't seen it often but I have seen it...I generally either take the chicks and brood them myself for a few days or take the mom and babies and put them in a safe place and discard the rest of the eggs...if I take them I put the mama in with them as soon as she has hatched all the eggs...
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that you lost a chick.
ReplyDelete