2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Rhona R]

Hello all, this is my first post although I have been bit of a lurker for years!

 

We have just hatched our first chicks from bought fertilised eggs, following one of our chickens becoming broody. We have three chicks, and two are happily thriving. The third (a different breed to the others) is getting pecked by the mother. The chicken (an Araucana) has previously been the calmest and most affectionate of our chickens, so we're a bit surprised to be honest.

 

The poor thing is not thriving like the others - it looks smaller and scuttles away whenever she comes near. The Araucana seems to hunt for the chick so she can peck it.

 

At the moment, they are living on the floor of our greenhouse with a broody box and plenty of space. Our regular hen house is an eglu classic, in which we have two other hens. We're trying to ensure that the chick is getting access to food and water. The internet is full of different opinions; it will improve, it won't improve, we should separate the chick, we shouldn't etc.

 

The only good thing is that the chick is allowed to snuggle up underneath it's mother at night, so it's not being completely shunned.

 

It's so upsetting to watch, and I feel awful that the poor thing is not happy.

 

Any tips?

[Rhona R]

…sorry, should have added that the chicks are one week old. The pecking started on day 3, I think.

[Beantree]

Sounds like it's an issue with the different breed and perhaps the mother sees it as an intruder? The difference must be evident in the feathering by now? Problem is you can't have one chick on its own anyway so at the moment it looks like bad news. You could separate and brood all three in isolation but you would need all the equipment to do that.