Mom attacking baby chicken trying to hatch?

[MommaHen2Many]

Oh, I think you have done great with the little one. Make sure the wing wound is healed really good before giving it back to momma. Dip its beak in water, and give it some chick food. I just recently had a sitting hen on 6 eggs. She stepped on the first one and killed it. So I pulled the eggs and put them in our incubator (its a homemade one out of a styrofoam cooler) I did put fake eggs under the momma as I had planned to put the baby chicks back under her. All the eggs hatched with in 24 hours. One chick had developmental problems and didnt survive. I kept the babies in a plastic storage bin with a desk lamp, food & water for about a week.

They probably could have gone back to the momma sooner, but my kids were having too much fun with the babies. The day before giving her chicks, I put the "broody" momma and her fake eggs into a plastic bin in my "broody" part of the coop, with food & water. The next day I took the babies out to the momma at dusk...almost dark. I wanted to be able to "see" if the babies stayed under her, and what she would do. I cover the babies with my hand so she couldnt see them, and then released the baby under her, and pulled out the fake eggs.

She took all four of them and it worked. I kept her in the plastic bin with them for a day, so they couldnt run far away...and the next day, I put them all in the larger broody space, without the bin. The pictures are before they went out (on pink), the evening they went under mom (I had to use a flash to get the picture) & the next morning. I have to tell you this is the 3rd time I have had a broody adopt babies (even though they were really hers)..but I still get up really early the next day to go check them!

lol

If you have the inclination & ability, I would set up a "hatching" place (needs to be about 75% humidity and about 95degrees, to hatch...if they are in the last 3 days to hatch (it sounds like it is). Then have a brooder space set up..at least until they get bigger & stronger. My is kind of "thrown together" but it works. Good Luck!!

 

[Pat Mcaffee]

She so cute! Don't let her away from that heat lamp until she dries, its not good for her. If I were you, I would raise it myself instead of risking mom murder..... I would also go buy one or two day old chicks to be with her so she does not die of loneliness.. Or put her with one of her live siblings.

I second this.

 

[chuckachucka]

@rburrows Did you say the first chick hatched a week before the ones she started attacking? If so that seems like the problem. Once the first chick hatched she should have shifted from brooding mode to mother mode, which would include attacking any and all 'intruders'. Most people recommend setting fertile all together under a broody so they all hatch within a couple of days of each other.

 

[Brittanyjohnson1986]

My momma duck is doing the same thing I’ve tried 3 separate times putting the duck back under her and EVERYTIME she stomped on it or ripped the shell off.. I ended up taking her out and incubating but there’s 4 more that haven’t pipped yet and I don’t know what to do with them