Hello!
I am a first-time hatcher of chicks beneath a hen and it is wonderful. She did an amazing job setting (7 out of 8 first try!), is a dedicated mama even though she's just under a year old, my only issue seems to be that she's fairly high strung and while she's gentle and attentive as can be with her baes she keeps stomping on them when she gets distracted or worked up. Like, I've been keeping an eye on one since she stomped it yesterday (their first day off the nest!) and just now she stomped a different one. It takes her an obnoxiously long moment to realize why they're screaming too, but then she huddles down to keep everyone warm right after. I am worried about the babies, but I think me being out there is likely distracting her so while she likes the treats I bring and feeds them to the littles, I try to only interact with them a couple of times a day. I've seen other people's hens stomp their chicks a bit before and some get injured, some don't, but how normal is this?? Just a nervous first-timer over here, overly fussy, but would love to hear stories of experiences, or even chick resilience! They're all moving okay, but definitely in deal mode right after.
Thanks for listening, and I'm excited to be among the hatchers out there!
I am a first-time hatcher of chicks beneath a hen and it is wonderful. She did an amazing job setting (7 out of 8 first try!), is a dedicated mama even though she's just under a year old, my only issue seems to be that she's fairly high strung and while she's gentle and attentive as can be with her baes she keeps stomping on them when she gets distracted or worked up. Like, I've been keeping an eye on one since she stomped it yesterday (their first day off the nest!) and just now she stomped a different one. It takes her an obnoxiously long moment to realize why they're screaming too, but then she huddles down to keep everyone warm right after. I am worried about the babies, but I think me being out there is likely distracting her so while she likes the treats I bring and feeds them to the littles, I try to only interact with them a couple of times a day. I've seen other people's hens stomp their chicks a bit before and some get injured, some don't, but how normal is this?? Just a nervous first-timer over here, overly fussy, but would love to hear stories of experiences, or even chick resilience! They're all moving okay, but definitely in deal mode right after.
Thanks for listening, and I'm excited to be among the hatchers out there!