Any luck getting new mom to adopt?

[adcgroup]

I've got a silkie that was setting on eggs where others were laying. When her first three hatched, she came off the remaining eggs and I put them in an incubator. When the others were a couple of days old, I had good luck introducing a just-fluffed chick to her that had hatched out of the incubator. Now, a couple of days later I would like her to adopt the next hatch. However, when I put this chick in today, she pecked at it. It was peeping, so I waited a few seconds to see if she was just checking it out, but she kept pecking at it so I removed it and put it back in the brooder.

The oldest chicks are about 4-5 days old, but with silkies they're still tiny - not much bigger than day-olds. Does anyone think I'd have good luck putting the chick up under her when it's dark tonight? I'm thinking if she sets on it all night, she might be nicer in the morning. Problem is, I doubt I'll be up when they get up in case she sees it as a threat and pecks it to death...

The remaining eggs are from full-sized birds, so I wanted to get this silkie with its siblings and then I could keep the larger chicks together by themselves since the silkie will quickly be outsized.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I've never personally done this, but I've heard of people having much better luck putting grafting chicks to hens at night. I would try it. Maybe put a box with a a small hole in it (so that only the chicks can get in and not Mama) so that they have somewhere to escape to should she not want them. Then just check on them as early as you can. And remember you don't have to stay up, just check on 'em and go back to bed. I do that kind of thing quite often.

I certainly hope you have good luck with this because I have a hatch due today that I'm hoping to graft to my duck once her clutch hatches next week.

 

[adcgroup]

The hen has settled down for the night with all the babies under her. I'm going to see how she does with it dark. I wonder if I would be better letting the chick get another day of strength under her? She just popped out of the egg 18 hours ago...

 

[LaynaDon95]

She'll get stronger being with a Mama hen. If you're worried, of course give her another day, but I think she'll do better with Mama.

 

[poseygrace]

I've grafted chicks at night and it worked well. Your problem may be the age/size difference. Mine were all the same. Good luck!

 

[adcgroup]

Thanks!

I got the hen bedded down and cozy after dark and slipped the chick under her. The chick crawled up under her and she didn't move much (I kept the lights out). I've checked back several times and she's still just setting there in the same place. I am hoping that after the chick lays under her all night and has her smells and the other chicks' smells that she'll accept it ok.

Chickens aren't good at math, are they?

 

[adcgroup]

Whew! This is crazy! I've been up since 5:00 checking and re-checking. Finally a little bit ago, the hen got the chicks up for breakfast. The four older ones popped out one by one, stretched, got a drink (I think if they'd had fingers, they'd have yawned and scratched their bellies!) and she crunched up some food and called them over to it. At one point, the newest chick (still under her) started peeping loudly. She perked her head up and looked around, then looked at the chicks (like she was counting), then looked toward her underside, then looked at me. Of course, right about then I had to sneeze! I ran a few steps and sneezed, but when I came back they were all under her again.

Still don't know what she's going to do...

 

[adcgroup]

Ok, I feel better now. The baby still wants to stay up under mama most of the time, but I caught her out with the rest of the chicks and mama hen was more concerned with me being there than the new chick. After a minute, it wiggled back up under her like it was born there! Apparently, the overnight acclimation has worked in this case. If you look closely, you can see from the pic below that there are about 5 days between the oldest and youngest chick (they all hatched on different days!). The baby (hatched yesterday) is the furthest left.

 

[AZ_HenHouse]

Good Mama

and hat cute babies

 

[LaynaDon95]

Aw!

I'm so glad she's doing well with the new baby, and the new baby is doing well with her. That's such a sweet picture. Adorable babies. Congrats on you happy little chicken family.