Crowing. Most hens will not accept other chicks and will peck and kill them. That is why broodies and their chicks need to be separated from the general flock and/or from other brooding hens. Some hens are not good mothers and will peck and kill their own chicks..
In this way, why would a hen peck her chick?
The particular reason the mother hen pecked her chick is unknown to me as is the cause of death for the other two chicks. Cannibalism is a fairly common problem with chickens; this can be caused by over crowding, high light intensity, amino acid imbalance, and many other stress factors.
Also Know, will my hens kill chicks? It's important to keep the chicks safe because an adult chicken can easily kill a baby. You should NOT try to introduce a single chick to your flock of older chickens. The chicks will need an outdoor space next to the older flock, but separated by wire.
Additionally, will hens peck baby chicks?
If a mother hen pecks or injures one of her chicks, isolate the baby immediately. The mother hen could continue to hurt the injured or bloodied chick if it's not removed, or she could even kill the injured chick intentionally.
How long does a mother hen stay with her chicks?
The timing varys depending on the hen. And the voices only she can hear in her head. And it's not so much her kicking them out of the nest but rather her leaving them behind and going back to live with her flock. It seems to average 4-8 weeks, some even longer.
Related Question Answers
Why is my broody hen eating her eggs?
Unbalanced diet: If the hen has an imbalance in her diet, she will try to correct it. If there is not enough protein available, egg eating is one way to supplement the diet with protein. Boredom: Hens get into mischief when they are bored! Try to keep them occupied, if they free range, you likely won't have a problem.How do you introduce Chicks to Chicks?
For the first 15-16 weeks you need to separate the chicks and keep them in their own pen. You need to wait until the chicks have their feathers and are a similar size to the chickens in the existing flock. Once they are a similar size you can follow the process above without the quarantine stage.Do chickens eat their chicks?
Yes, they can and will eat newly hatched chicks if they get into the habit of doing so similar to egg eating. We had a probably with a broody hen turning and killing her chicks in the same way. Very frustrating!How do mother hens feed their chicks?
Baby chickens will stay close to the mother hen for warmth and protection, but the mother hen does not directly feed them. Many chicks hatch in an incubator and are raised without a hen present. These chicks will eat food provided for them and require little feeding assistance from their human caretakers.Will a rooster kill a new hen?
Roosters are very protective of hens and there are advantages to roosters living with hens if they are free ranging. Some male cockerels (roosters) are very territorial and can hurt small children or even someone collecting eggs or walking. Roosters will over-mate hens to the point of killing them.Can you mix chickens of different ages?
It's completely possible to combine multiple age groups of chickens into one space. Ideally, you can keep them separate until they're full-grown, but not everyone has that much room. Never put day old chicks with laying hens. The age difference just too much.Will chickens kill each other?
yes, chickens will kill each other. some roosters will fight to the death, as will some hens. chickens also gang up on each other. then there is cannibalism, which is not aggression based, but a bad habit induced by boredom & hunger- and can end up with chickens killing each other.When can I put baby chicks outside?
By 4-5 weeks of age your chickens are ready to move outside full-time. And thank goodness! As much as you love them, you'll be thrilled to get them out of your house. Read the next chapters to learn about chicken coop requirements, how to transition them to their coop and how to care for them as they get older.Do Roosters attack chicks?
Some roosters and some hens will injure chicks. I won't tolerate either and if I catch a bird being mean he or she becomes dinner. Mom birds differ in how well they care for the babies. Just keep an eye on her and be ready to put the chicks in a brooder if you need to.How old do chickens live?
8-10 years
Do Roosters eat baby chicks?
It is normal for birds to peck at newcomers, but eating the chicks isn't. I wouldn't blame just the rooster, as momma hen clearly wasn't doing her job. Since, your hen can't protect her chicks, it is best that you separate her from the flock.Will big chickens kill little chickens?
Yes. It is very possible for big chickens to kill little chickens. I strongly advise that you DO NOT keep them together, because the bigger ones will bully the little ones. 
