Chick hatched under my broody, *sad update*

[firedove]

My Mille Fleur hen has finally gotten to day of hatch and her single remaining egg (not actually hers, a LF EE/Wyandotte cross green egg) was pipped and zipped when I checked her around 9:45pm tonight. So, with any luck there will be a happy healthy chick in the am. My question is what should I do now. The hen picked one of my middle nesting buckets to have her nest so she is pretty high up off the ground (about 2 1/2' maybe a little more) so should I leave her where she is for now or move her tonight after the chick is dry? Then should I move her to a bottom nesting bucket (about 10" off the ground w/ a 2 1/2" lip at the front) or put her into a dog crate w/ the chick and some food and water? Or should I wait until morning or tomorrow night to move mom and chick? They are in the main coop with all the other hens and I don't want anything to happen to my very first broody hatched egg, especially with S'Mores being such a good broody for me! Please let me know what you would do!


****UPDATE****
I got answers to my questions, now I'm just excited to see the chick finished out hatching and is ohh soo cute!

 

[Mahonri]

Is that the only egg?

Is there a lip on the bucket?

Can you put something in front of the bucket to keep either from coming out?

 

[firedove]

There is a 2 1/2" slat across the bottom of the bucket opening. Here is a pic

She is in the middle tier, far right bucket. (not in this pic obviously, this is just a pic of the set-up. The buckets now have burlap bags on the floors instead of straw so the bottom is much lower than the lip)

The hen can come out and other hens can go in. I have no way to provide her food and water if I close her into the bucket.

 

[firedove]

oh, forgot to answer, yes she only has one egg that ended up developing fully. She was originally sitting on 3 (she is pretty tiny so more was just a bit much) but two of the eggs were candled clear four days ago. My other broody abandoned her nest two days ago and like an idiot I didn't think to give those eggs to my little Mille girl.

 

[firedove]

The chick got out safe and sound! I moved mama hen and baby into a large dog crate since it was suggested to me that although the chick could maybe get out of the nest, mom and baby would need somewhere to go back to. So now they are in the crate on a bed of hay with a ceramic dish that just has about 3/4 of an inch of water in the bottom for tonight. The sides of the dish are taller than the tiny chick so I think she will be safe for now. When it gets light out and I can let the chickens out of the main coop I will put in a better water container for mom and baby. It was just hard working in there with all the chickens waking up from the flashlight and dive bombing down from the roost around me. I will get pics of S'Mores and Kisses (the new chick) in the morning.

Thank you ddawn for your help!!!

 

[firedove]

Kisses disappeared without a trace Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

I went out Wednesday to let the other chickens out and S'Mores was alone in the crate

I didn't find any body anywhere but the coop was completely sealed. All I can think is she squeezed out of the crate and met a horrible end with the other chickens and no mama to protect

I didn't think there was any way she could fit through the one inch mesh door of the crate but she must have.

So I have learned a lesson for the next time I have a broody hatch an egg. The crate is getting 1/2" hardware cloth added to the door so there will be no chicks slipping out ever again!

So RIP Kisses!

 

[Kelly FG]

 

[pdsavage]

I just had that happen with a little yellow bantam chick....
i did finaly find her little body...how she got out is beyond me...

 

[firedove]

pdsavage, sorry to hear about your loss as well

 

[Mom2Cool]

I'm so sorry for your loss here. It's always so hard to loose a chick.