Got a screamer!

CityGirlintheCountry

Green Eggs and Hamlet
12 Years
Jul 7, 2007
6,950
140
311
Middle TN
So this hatch has gone weird. Of the 11 eggs that were alive and developed on day 18, only one is out. Today is day 22. I moved the one chick that hatched to the brooder about an hour again and it gulped down water and immediately started eating the chick mash I put in there. Still no pips or signs of life from the others. The lone chick is screaming up a storm in there. I put a stuffed animal in there and he kept screaming. I finally put him in a dishtowel on my chest. The little screamer would sleep as long as my hand was over him. When he started shivering I put him back in the brooder and now he is screaming again. Clearly I can't hold him all the time. I am not holding out a whole lot of hope for the others in this hatch. I have never had two rounds of hatching. Either they all come out at the same time or they are dead in the shell. This guy is likely to be a solitary hatch. I have several broody hens on eggs right now, but the next hatch isn't for a week. I could rearrange eggs and slip this guy under the one that has been sitting the longest, but I'm still not sure she'll accept him. I don't know what to do with him. Clearly he is in distress all alone. Any thoughts?
 
get a mirror! I've raised chicks by themselves with a mirror in their brooder. The mirror is good for chicks who peck because the reflection pecks back and keeps them interested, so they leave everyone else alone. Also, the mirror gives the chick a bit of company, in a way.
 
Feather duster - I hang one over the side, near the heat source. Lets the chicks snuggle under just like they had mom. Worked fantastic for my lone chick.
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hey, now you've got a whole fake family! good luck. oh, horsefeatherz, I looove your picture. gorgeous horse.
 
Oh my gosh I have been there. Stripes, my BR is the loudest chick on earth! A mirror was the ONLY thing that helped. She had to sleep right in front of it. If it fell over, you knew.
 
I'd try and slip it under the longest broody... if it doesn't work it can always go back into the brooder with mirror and toys..
 
where are you in middle TN? I can spare a LF partridge cochin chick or two... or even one bantam lavender cochin chick if you would like a companion for your little guy! They're about a week and a half old.
 
Dang, Georgia! If only you were closer!! I'm just south of Nashville, so you are about 4 hours away.
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Mahonri (whose name I always want to spell as Mahroni)- that broody is a week away from hatching. She's a first time brooder too. I don't know that she'll take it this early or if she'll even be even good at it. I may try it just to see, but the whole thing is fraught with peril.
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The mirror is sort of working. We are asleep right now. I'm sure the screaming will begin again soon. I will make a feather duster run tomorrow if the broody won't take him and see if that will help.

I really, really hate that the others all seem to be dead. I don't know what happened. On Wednesday they were all fine and the temps/humidity have been fine all along. I've hatched a TON of these this year. It's just weird.
 
So I tried tucking the baby under the broody hen hatching next. She was having nothing to do with it. I tucked him waaaayyyyy up under her and still she managed to peck at him. Poor baby was terrified and running around screaming. He/She is back in the brooder and is asleep for now. He/she is ignoring the mirror for the time being. We'll see how it goes. I'll go find a feather duster tomorrow morning. Hopefully that will be soothing.
I wish I could find another day old chick.
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