Age old question: Late hatcher, mama ignoring...HELP

[citygirlcountryboy]

Hi Everyone,

We have a broody Cornish that has hatched a huge clutch. they are all staggered in age from a week old to four days. but today an older egg hatched (with major difficulty) and Mama seems to have moved on to teaching her week old chicks and is totally ignoring this poor, peeping lil peep. New baby is able to drag her self around a little bit, but seems very weak. Age old question-- do we just sit back and let nature do her bidding...is there someway to intervene or do i try and put this chick under our other broody Cornish without any eggs under her?? Thanks for any and all advice encouragement etc!!!! Does mama just know something we dont?

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

I'd put the chick under your other broody and see how it goes.

This is the danger of staggered hatches. Never, ever let eggs be added to a clutch a day or so after the first egg began incubation. At most two days. Mark all eggs and remove fresh ones daily. You will lose chicks from staggered hatches.

 

[citygirlcountryboy]

We caught on late to this hatch and started marking too late obviously, lesson learned. Newbies. THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

No problem, I'm glad I could help!

Feel free to ask more questions if necessary and update!

 

[Dmontgomery]

We had this happen last year. Momma hatched 4, then 2-3 days later another hatched and she just pecked at it. We brought it in the house overnight and put it under a heat lamp. It gained some strength. The next night we snuck it back under her and all went fine.

 

[lazy gardener]

We had this happen last year. Momma hatched 4, then 2-3 days later another hatched and she just pecked at it. We brought it in the house overnight and put it under a heat lamp. It gained some strength. The next night we snuck it back under her and all went fine.

This would be my plan A. I've heard of folks in such circumstances removing ALL of the chicks from the broody hen for an hour or so, then returning all the chicks to her along with the late hatcher at the same time. Theory goes that Mama is so happy to see her babies back that she doesn't notice the newbie. (give the newbie 24 hours under heat to gain strength before trying this.) Any time you interfere, you do run the risk of mama rejecting all of her babies.

If second broody Cornish has been broody for a couple of weeks, and you are not letting her hatch eggs, my plan B would be to try to foster this chick to her.

Plan C would be to steal one of the chicks from Broody Mama A, and rear the two chicks together.

Plan D would be: do nothing, and most likely watch the late hatch chick die from neglect or from being pecked to death.