Broodie Adopts Some Chicks But Pecks Others?

[bikerchick2]

Hi there! This is the 2nd batch of chicks I've raised so I'm not totally new but still have a lot to learn. Thanks in advance for the help.

I have a carmel on white speckled Isbar that went Broodie about 4 weeks ago and started sitting on just 2 eggs. She is super easy going so I figured she was a likely bet to adopt. I put 10 more viable Isbar eggs under her and 18 isbar eggs in the incubator. 2 days later the contents of her nest was spilled out on the ground so I reset the nest with the remaining fertilized eggs I had many of which were from the Icelandic cages.

The first 5 incubator chicks (All Isbars) hatched 1 day earlier than the Broodie's first natural hatch of 3 islandics. Upon first natural hatch I introduced the 1-2 day old Isbars to the broodie and she seems to adopted them all so no problem. Since the new chicks pulled the Brodie off the nest a lot, I removed all the real eggs and replaced them with fakes. 3 more eggs hatched in the incubator that night and were introduced back to the Broodie the next day with seemingly no problem.

A days after the "successful adoption" I found something odd... the Broodie was nesting in a new box with the chicks.. the fake eggs were abandoned.. the chicks were all wandering around the chicken house and out of the the nest except for one Icelandic with serious peck wounds to the head.. The hen was with him... and II saw her pecking hard on him. The targeted chick was removed and treated. I'm not sure if the target chick was an incubator or natural hatch.

Last night 3 more incubator hatches occured, 1 Isbar and 2 icelandic. Hoping the bullied chick was a fluke, this morning I introduced the 3 dried off newborn chicks to the broodie whose oldest is no older than 3 days. At first the Broodie seemed OK but after 15 min she started pecking hard on the new chicks ... especially the two icelandics. I pulled them all out.

Now I have a Brodie with 9 chicks (6 Isbar / 3 Icelandic) that she is caring for, 1 Isolated Icelandic with a head injury and 3 new chicks who adoption seems to have failed this morning. My wife thinks the chicks are getting picked because they a very immobile and keep getting in the way.

Has anyone seen this type of behavior? Is there anything I can do so that the Broodie makes the adoption like she did the first time. Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks in advance for the help!!!

 

[sourland]

Most hens imprint on their chicks within the first 36 hours after hatch and then regard all others as 'strangers'. There are exceptions to this, but this is generally what happens.

 

[50-45-1]

Well , first off it seams to me that the timing if the hatchings is to spaced. Best to have all hatching within 48 hours of each other.
Also you mention adding new chicks in the morning. That is oposite what i would do.
I always add chicks after dark so all night long she will get accustomed to the newbies, and them to her.
Also why replace with fake eggs?
Once she has chicks you would want her to switch gears from broody to chick mom so she will care for the live chicks she has.
If she is still trying to hatch eggs real or fake, she will not be getting the chicks off the nest to feed and water.
Are you set up so that the chicks(that are running around) can get back under her where she is sitting now?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You might have answered bit I skimmed over the article. Are the chicks all the same colors or are some different looking? It's a lot easier to sneak identical chicks that totally different looking ones.

And is it aggressive pecking or more like a curious or scolding peck?

 

[bikerchick2]

Most hens imprint on their chicks within the first 36 hours after hatch and then regard all others as 'strangers'. There are exceptions to this, but this is generally what happens.

Thanks It does seem like this happened.. only in 24 hrs instead

 

[bikerchick2]

Well , first off it seams to me that the timing if the hatchings is to spaced. Best to have all hatching within 48 hours of each other.
Also you mention adding new chicks in the morning. That is oposite what i would do.
I always add chicks after dark so all night long she will get accustomed to the newbies, and them to her.
Also why replace with fake eggs?
Once she has chicks you would want her to switch gears from broody to chick mom so she will care for the live chicks she has.
If she is still trying to hatch eggs real or fake, she will not be getting the chicks off the nest to feed and water.
Are you set up so that the chicks(that are running around) can get back under her where she is sitting now?

I have been adding them during the day so I can observe them in case they get rejected.. I have heard of people doing it both ways..

The fake eggs is not knowing any better.. I wanted to take her live unhatched eggs but didn't want her to change what she was doing. I didn't realize that once she moves into chick mode that the rest of the eggs are not needed there.

Good news is that she is doing great with her chicks! Will try a night introduction this evening to see if that gets a better result..

 

[bikerchick2]

You might have answered bit I skimmed over the article. Are the chicks all the same colors or are some different looking? It's a lot easier to sneak identical chicks that totally different looking ones.

And is it aggressive pecking or more like a curious or scolding peck?

I thought it was curious pecking.. until I found one chick with his head bloody and bald from pecking. I am going to try a night time adoption today.. last try... if she starts pecking them we will raise them in the brooder. Thanks for the help!

 

[JSfunnyfarm]

How did you help the one that had been pecked in the head? I just removed one today that my broody pecked. It was barely moving or breathing when I got it. I got the bleeding to stop, but it didn’t make it. Made me so sad! I assumed it was because this chick hatched a week after her other two. The other eggs she was sitting on weren’t viable. And a few she pecked open way before they were ready so we tossed them. This was my first experience with a broody hen. It was definitely a learning experience! So it’s her and two chicks now. No more eggs.