Surrogate Broody help needed

[Nbullinger]

Hey all! I have a broody hen we gave chicks to. She seemed to take to them at first and then she tossed one out. One of the other hens got to that one, unfortunately, before we did.

Shas 3 more under her currently and is laying on them making purring noises. She’s only pecking at them if they try to come out. Like she aggressively pushes them back under her. I’m not sure what to expect here. Is this protective behavior or harm? Will she sleep through the night and wake up and be okay with them? She’s being very protective if another hen or one of us come near.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Hey all! I have a broody hen we gave chicks to. She seemed to take to them at first and then she tossed one out. One of the other hens got to that one, unfortunately, before we did.

Shas 3 more under her currently and is laying on them making purring noises. She’s only pecking at them if they try to come out. Like she aggressively pushes them back under her. I’m not sure what to expect here. Is this protective behavior or harm? Will she sleep through the night and wake up and be okay with them? She’s being very protective if another hen or one of us come near.

That sounds like she’s an “evil broody” and you may need to take those chicks away if you want them to be safe.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

No good broody pecks her chicks or tosses them out.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Did you give them to her while it was daytime?

 

[Nbullinger]

That sounds like she’s an “evil broody” and you may need to take those chicks away if you want them to be safe.

Ugh. I was afraid of that.

Did you give them to her while it was daytime?

We put them under her wing at night and removed the eggs

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Ugh. I was afraid of that.

We put them under her wing at night and removed the eggs

So you did it right…she’s the issue here. Sounds like aggression that’s beyond anything normal.

 

[Nbullinger]

So you did it right…she’s the issue here. Sounds like aggression that’s beyond anything normal.

That’s unfortunate too I’m on a mission to move them to the brooder now

 

[K0k0shka]

I wouldn't blacklist her quite yet. If she tossed one out, and not all of them, that's actually not as alarming as it may seem. She's not anti-chick necessarily if she only singled one of them out. Sometimes hens know things we don't - if the chick is sick or weak or has some underlying issue. Chickens are ruthless and are all about the survival of the fittest. They won't raise weaklings, and more often than not, will weed them out and only raise the strongest.

In the first couple of days after hatch, hens do peck their chicks (gently) when they come out, to get them to tuck back under. That's how they tell them to stay under where it's warm and safe, until they are strong enough to come out of the nest. There are different degrees of pecking, and not all pecking is bad. Pecking lightly to get the chick to go under - totally normal and not alarming. Pecking so hard that she inflicts damage - that's what's alarming. You gotta discern between the shades of gray, it's not all black and white. I'd say give her a chance. Go out there a few times tonight and watch her. It doesn't sound like she means to harm them, if she's tucking them under herself. She might be a little rough in doing so, especially if she's a first timer, but if she was rejecting them, she'd be pushing all the rest of them out too, not pulling them under herself.

 

[Nbullinger]

I wouldn't blacklist her quite yet. If she tossed one out, and not all of them, that's actually not as alarming as it may seem. She's not anti-chick necessarily if she only singled one of them out. Sometimes hens know things we don't - if the chick is sick or weak or has some underlying issue. Chickens are ruthless and are all about the survival of the fittest. They won't raise weaklings, and more often than not, will weed them out and only raise the strongest.

In the first couple of days after hatch, hens do peck their chicks (gently) when they come out, to get them to tuck back under. That's how they tell them to stay under where it's warm and safe, until they are strong enough to come out of the nest. There are different degrees of pecking, and not all pecking is bad. Pecking lightly to get the chick to go under - totally normal and not alarming. Pecking so hard that she inflicts damage - that's what's alarming. You gotta discern between the shades of gray, it's not all black and white. I'd say give her a chance. Go out there a few times tonight and watch her. It doesn't sound like she means to harm them, if she's tucking them under herself. She might be a little rough in doing so, especially if she's a first timer, but if she was rejecting them, she'd be pushing all the rest of them out too, not pulling them under herself.

Huh.. okay so there may be hope… I haven’t moved them yet I just got the brooder set up. The others are still laying peacefully under her. There is one other hen close to them I’m fearful of her attacking them but I’ve got a cam on them to alert of movement. I have a feeling it’ll be a long night

 

[Nbullinger]

Update: she’s moved one chick to another box and kicked two more out. She seems to only like the one