[blodwen]

Hello, i need some advice please!
Our broody pekin has been sat on her eggs for 21 days and they are now hatching, I checked this morning and two had hatched, she had killed one of them and was busy pecking the other chick and trying to kill it  . I have removed the rest of the eggs and put them in the incubator as they are definitely on the way to hatching,( i can hear the knocking coming from inside!) and i dont want her to kill any more. I have never had a hen do this before, all our other pekins seem to be brilliant broodies and mothers, any ideas why she is doing this please? 

[dizzylizzie]

Hi, sorry about your little one Has mum been disturbed at all, is she in a coop by herself?

[blodwen]

yes she's by herself, i'm so cross with her  poor little chicks. She seems to be looking after the chick she had been pecking now, it's under her wing and still alive so i am going to leave that one with her but keep a close eye on her. It is her first hatch but because all the others have been so good with their chicks i expected her to be too, my fault i suppose for just expecting it   

[Missie]

Hi,I seem to have the same problem only all four broodies are in the same coop,i have sectioned it all off for each broody but I just went in and found one chick on the floor,i put her back in with her mum and she done what your's is doing,pecking at it insanely!

I do not have an incubator so Lord knows what i should do next!

[Kym503]

There must be something in the air.... I had the same problem.  I now have 2 chicks under an infra red lamp!  Seems a waste of electric for just 2 chicks!