[Ellex]

Hi

My neighbour asked me to post this on his behalf so I hope I have all the facts that are required.
His hen (who is a maturer lady & not a novice) hatched 8 chicks yesterday & promptly killed them all.   
She was on her own & not with other hens. He has kept fowl for over 40years & is really puzzled as to why she would do this. Can anyone help?

[bantam novice]

Hello Ellex,
I can't give you much help except to say what a horrible thing to happen.  A very unpleasant thing for your neighbour to find.

[orchardlady]

I to have kept hens for a long time but not as long as your neighbour. I've never come across this problem but might have a few suggestions on why it happened.

1. Was there any rodents around?

2. Chicks can stay under their broodie mum for up to two days after hatching keeping supplied by the yolk of the egg. tHis is so any late hatchings get a chance. When new chicks pop their heads out from under their mothers the broodie often pushes or pecks them quite crossly to go back under. Maybe these chicks feeling it was such a bright and warm day were a little too adventures and didn't understand mums rules.

£. The area was very brightly lit. Next time close off most of the light o the broodie coop to give everyone a gentle start.

I'm so sad for your neighbour. Please send my sympathy and good wishes.

Orchardlady.

[themagicaltoad1]

Last year I put eggs under 2 broodys (3 eggs each), and both hens attacked their young chicks we had to hastily remove them or they would have all been killed. It was horrible to witness the aggression shown by both hens to the newly hatched babies. We never did find out why they had turned on them, it was only because we saw them throwing the chicks out of the nesting areas that we realised something was wrong. They were both in separate broody houses.