Brooder and baby chick

[namredus]

I have a brooder that hatched a chick a couple of days ago. I really don't know what I'm supposed to do now. Leave the chick with the mother and other chickens (and roosters). Or take it out and put it in a brooder box? I left the chick with the mother and yesterday it disappeared. She's still sitting on 3 more eggs.

 

[Peplers chicks]

Difficult to say, it would be good if you can test the eggs if their is life, if not remove them that she can tend to the one chick, what I did once--I gave some chick grower to help the new chick get some energy, it will dies fayer two to three days. The missing chick could have been eaten by predators. But again to give some food close would draw attention and predators aswell

 

[Judy]

I'd leave her alone if she's stil sitting on eggs. Sad that you lost your first chick, but not really that unusual. (Are you sure it's not caught in her feathers somewhere, maybe under her wing, or stuck in a corner somewhere?)

I always let the mama raise her chicks. if she's a good mama she will run off any hens who want to bother the chicks. The rooster might actually help her care for the chicks, or just ignore them. All you have to do is provide starter feed -- or starter/grower, flock raiser -- anything but layer, as the extra calcium can damage their organs, even kill them. The whole flock can eat chick starter or whatever. Just put out some oyster shell, if you haven't already, so there is a calcium source for whoever is laing and feels the need. Mama raised chicks tend to be healthier and stronger, be smarter foragers, have better immune systems, and grow faster than brooder raised chicks.

Here's a post about broodies I really like:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/693407/broody-bird-what-to-do/0_20#post_9400530

 

[donrae]

I was going to say pretty much what Flockwatcher already typed out.