Had 6 chicks hatch out yesterday under my broody cuckoo Marans. . . one more was pipping last night. We HAD to move them to the broody box because the chicks were falling from the nesting box- they are all ok, but we didn't want them falling out during the night and getting chilled or injured. Anyway, she stopped sitting on the pipping egg last night. This morning it had zipped, but hadn't done anything else. The egg was cold and she still wasn't sitting on it. Not knowing what to do, I picked up the egg, saw the chick was still very much alive but very cold, and brought it inside and helped it hatch. It seems to be doing ok- I have it on a washcloth, covered with my daughter's electric blanket. It is drying off and peeping and moving pretty vigorously when I check on it. I tried taking it out to mom right after it came out of the shell, and she pecked it. Do you think if it makes it through today, I can try to slip it under her tonight after dark? I have a brooder I can use until then, and afterwards if she won't accept it. I don't know if I did the right thing. . . maybe I didn't. But I could NOT just let the little thing freeze to death and not give it a chance. I put a tiny spotted stuffed dog beside it, and even though it is wobbly and not dry, it is already pecking at the spots on the dog! Poor little thing wants to live. I'm too much of a softy, I guess.
