broody pecks last chick to hatch

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chickenfan

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I have had three chicks hatch slowly, one on Thursday, one on Friday and one this afternoon. The last one hatched very fast once it had pipped and is on its feet now, looking a beautiful, healthy chick. However, I can't understand when it emerges from my Pekin's feathers that it gets pecked, rather aggressively, and I am rather concerned about this, and wonder what to do if this continues in the morning.

The first two chicks are both black (from young parent marans). They only started eating today, but are now up and mobile. The third chick is a pale colour with a black dot on its head (wyandotte bantam cross) and is smaller and still wobbly on its feet. I am not sure why she is behaving differently towards this one. She has raised chicks before with no problem.
 
Hello Chickenfan and welcome to the forum. I can see three possibilities. First she sees it as an intruder, being a different colour. Second, as it's wobbly she sees it as a weakling and wants to kill it. Third, she thinks it isn't strong enough to be in the cold and is forcing it back into the warmth of her feathers. As she has raised chicks before I think the third is most likely, but can't be sure of course.
 
Thank you very much for your helpful reply. I think it might be reason 1 (intruder) because this one is different and has a slighly different tone of cheep, being a bantam. They are in a very warm bedroom, so I don't think its because of the cold.

She is still going for it every time she sees it, and each time it wants to come out and explore, so it has to escape back under her feathers. She is not teaching it to eat like the others. Am I better perhaps moving this one under an electric hen? I can give it lots of attention and teach it to eat myself as I work from home. I have another brood of bantams due to hatch on Tues/Weds, and could perhaps add this one into the new batch, although it will be 4 days older? I will keep my eye on things, but it is distressing to see, and I think the chick is losing confidence.

I once hatched just one chick under a columbian blacktail that went broody (a mistake). She constantly pecked at her chick as though she found it very irritating, and it grew up into a rather aggressive bird. I also want to avoid this if possible.

Many thanks.
 
Not being vastly experianced like some others on here I can only go on gut instinct. I wonder what is being gained by leaving it with the broody if, as you say, it seems to be losing confidence and you have the time to care for it. Is it worth moving all 3 or maybe one other and leave the broody with one? It must be very distressing to watch this and I would move it as you've got a good alternative available.
 
Thanks - it was my instinct too. The chick is now happily settled under an electric hen with another chick! The broody seems perfectly happy with just one chick.
 
We had a similar situation. Bottom is now on my lap having a "daddy cuddle". He's 6 now having just recovered from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. So Chickenfan you may be approaching the house chickens phase. Be careful, it can be more pain than pleasure. But in our case -just waiting for him to start snoring as he used to.
 
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