Mom abandoned one chick

[angela0408]

So I went out this morning to move a first time and her two chicks to a safe pen after her second chick hatched yesterday. The first one hatched the day before. I found that she left behind one chick whom I’m trying to revive now under a brooder with my incubator chicks. Three questions. If I can revive her do I give her back? Do I take away her single chick now and put it with the others? Do I just leave her with the one to be raised as a single?

 

[Shadrach]

So I went out this morning to move a first time and her two chicks to a safe pen after her second chick hatched yesterday. The first one hatched the day before. I found that she left behind one chick whom I’m trying to revive now under a brooder with my incubator chicks. Three questions. If I can revive her do I give her back? Do I take away her single chick now and put it with the others? Do I just leave her with the one to be raised as a single?

I've found that if a mother abandons a chick there is a reason for it and the one time I've given intensive care to an abandoned chick when the chick was stable and I tried to re introduce it to it's mother the mother attacked it.
Often we can't see the reason for the mothers behaviour.
Even if you save the chick and spend the next four to six weeks bring it up, what then?

 

[azygous]

It's your call, but I don't advise giving back the chick she rejected. Hens have reasons why they do this, and I doubt she would be receptive to accepting it.

I've taken a single chick away from a broody when I got feed store chicks the same age so that they could all be brooded together and become a strong unit. But single chicks also do just fine, although your single won't likely join the other chicks on its on volition. As I said, it's really your choice.

 

[angela0408]

Yes, thinking along the same lines as raising everyone in the same group. I have quite a few chickens so I hate to see her as a lonesome one. The abandoned one is doing better already and the others are snuggling with her. They are only a day or two behind her. Thank you for your help!! It’s nice to get a second opinion from those who have more experience.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

So I went out this morning to move a first time and her two chicks to a safe pen after her second chick hatched yesterday. The first one hatched the day before. I found that she left behind one chick whom I’m trying to revive now under a brooder with my incubator chicks. Three questions. If I can revive her do I give her back? Do I take away her single chick now and put it with the others? Do I just leave her with the one to be raised as a single?

This year I had a new momma who kicked her first hatched chick out of the nest... I brooded it for a day... then she kicked the second hatched out...

... the next day the third hatched and she kept it ...

... so after having already brooded the two rejects for a couple days I picked up some feed store chicks that were a few days older, and introduced her to them all by putting them in a little cage next to her as she set on her remaining eggs and the one chick...

...after observing her observe them... I placed all the chicks, rejects and purchased, with her... and took the remaining eggs and put them under broody#2...

... she’s been a very good mother to all of the chicks since...

Not sure if that helps...but that was how it went with this particular new mother ( Faverolle) hen this year...

 

[Shadrach]

This year I had a new momma who kicked her first hatched chick out of the nest... I brooded it for a day... then she kicked the second hatched out...

... the next day the third hatched and she kept it ...

... so after having already brooded the two rejects for a couple days I picked up some feed store chicks that were a few days older, and introduced her to them all by putting them in a little cage next to her as she set on her remaining eggs and the one chick...

...after observing her observe them... I placed all the chicks, rejects and purchased, with her... and took the remaining eggs and put them under broody#2...

... she’s been a very good mother to all of the chicks since...

Not sure if that helps...but that was how it went with this particular new mother ( Faverolle) hen this year...

Interesting. I try very hard to avoid stagered hatches. They often seem to cause problems.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Interesting. I try very hard to avoid stagered hatches. They often seem to cause problems.

Yep... I think the staggered hatch likely had a lot to do with her rejecting them...

...the eggs were all put under her the same day... I think the nest box I provided was a bit cramped and not allowing her to cover them well... causing the stagger and a low hatch rate...

The Faverolles breed is very laid back, and would probably adopt a baby raccoon and try to raise it ... other breeds might not have taken the chicks as readily ...

 

[Shadrach]

Yep... I think the staggered hatch likely had a lot to do with her rejecting them...

...the eggs were all put under her the same day... I think the nest box I provided was a bit cramped and not allowing her to cover them well... causing the stagger and a low hatch rate...

The Faverolles breed is very laid back, and would probably adopt a baby raccoon and try to raise it ... other breeds might not have taken the chicks as readily ...

I've had better results in the hard based nest boxes here when the clutch was reduced to six or less eggs. For the live earth based boxes I've had 11 out of 12 hatch.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

I've had better results in the hard based nest boxes here when the clutch was reduced to six or less eggs. For the live earth based boxes I've had 11 out of 12 hatch.

That’s an interesting observation.

I currently have a hen chicken sitting on 9 duck eggs... in a large plastic tub on the ground... lined with pine bedding... it’ll be interesting to see how those hatch out

 

[Shadrach]

That’s an interesting observation.

I currently have a hen chicken sitting on 9 duck eggs... in a large plastic tub on the ground... lined with pine bedding... it’ll be interesting to see how those hatch out

I did some experiments and wrote an article about it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...e-make-a-sitting-hens-job-so-difficult.74389/