Pecking her new babies - advice please

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:15 pm

Well. This went over like a ton of bricks. Picked up 10 Legbars today. Silkie mom is stalking the cage they are in, clucking, picking up food and dropping at their cage. I let her in. She takes them to the feed. They are jumping to eat out of her mouth and they instantly follow her. All normal.

Then all of a sudden she started to peck at them. Hard. Like lift them up and drop them. So she's out of their cage. But she's back to trying to feed them, clucking and they follow her all around the inside while she's on the outside.

WHAT. IS. GOING. ON???

This is not the plan I had in place.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:15 pm

Maybe I should add they hatched Saturday - Sunday

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:42 pm

I don't have any experience with foster moms, but if it were me I'd keep them caged separately. Put the chicks next to her for a few days and nights so she can see and hear them and then try again in a few days -maybe in the early evening when the light is low. I read a post about this very thing somewhere else, I can't remember the details or where I saw it, but it turned out OK that's all I remember. I'll try to find it.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:46 pm

Thank you. She still hasn't left the side of their cage and is trying to feed them with her clucking. She puffed up at one of the other pullets who came to check them out. That is promising. But that behaviour of pecking is not normal.

Jaye · Post by **Jaye** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:49 pm

Could be they are too old to bond now. I have always (all two times LOL) grafted chicks to my broody hen at night and there hasn't been an issue. The first time I grafted, one of the chicks was 3 days old already so I was nervous, but it worked out fine. I made sure to check in on them once during the night and was up to make sure everything was fine when they woke. Anyway, you can try tonight, and watch her for any signs of aggression , so that you can intervene before there is bloodshed, but if I were you I would make plans to brood them yourself. Is this Silkie the same one that was raising all your spring chicks? If so, I think she's had enough of mothering for the year and just wants to be a regular chicken for awhile.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:13 pm

I will try tonight in the dark and see how that goes and then check on them like the OCD MANIAC I can be.

Post by **WLLady** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:15 pm

What they said....pecking at the babies that hard she will kill them....i would keep them separate and finish brooding them yourself. She has had babies in her care for a long time now, she could probably use a break.

redninja · Post by **redninja** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:20 pm

We almost always introduce foster chicks at night. They'll snuggle under her and smell of her come the next morning. I have 2 broody hens both with their own and foster. Moms take care of their own combined brood but will peck quite hard at the other hens brood. Try tonight when the chicks and her are sleepy, but check in morning to make sure everything is ok.

Chicken Ninja · Post by **Chicken Ninja** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:46 pm

Definitely (if you are going to go the foster route) put them under her at night - same way you introduce new birds to the roost. If you put them in a small, confined pace (just for the night!) the babies will be forced to sleep under her, so you won't have to worry about them getting chilled, and momma will have to sit on them as she can't move around. Birds wake up and go "Well, when did you get here? I can't remember, so you must be chill." Unlike people, they seem to be much more accepting of change when they're tired...

Jaye · Post by **Jaye** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 11:46 pm

I agree with what Wllady said : she needs a break. She has been a great mother for you this year but she's not a machine, and it sounds like she's reached her limit. Trying to graft chicks more than a few days old under a full-on broody is already risky, so with a hen that's been raising chicks for months now, I don't think that the odds of success aren't very high.