Chick just hatched and Mama's acting weird.

[Bookworm chick]

Shortly after the chick got out of the egg, the Mama looked at it like "what's this thing" and got off the nest (another egg still unhatched) and started making the "bawk, bawk, ba-bawk". I moved my hand near the chick and she came after me but I'm not sure she has a strong maternal instinct. Is it possible she's going to abandon the chick? I have another broody and wondered if I could put her on the remaining egg and sneak the chick and shell under her tonight. That is, if the Mama isn't going to be a mother. Is this unusual behavior for a first-time mother?

 

[Bookworm chick]

Just came back in and she's back in the nest sitting on the second egg. She's still giving the chick that "look". She hasn't made any aggressive moves toward it, just seems very wary of it.

 

[detali]

I think everything is going to be okay.

 

[Bookworm chick]

We tried moving the broody into the "mommy suite" last night, but she would have none of it so we left her with the one chick and pipped egg. She still didn't want anything to do with the chick, so we hid it under her and left her alone for the night. This morning I went down to check and found the second chick was out and dry and underneath her. I didn't see the first chick though but could hear the peep on the floor. Found the chick gave it a drink of water and showed it the feed and stuck it back under the hen. She does have the instinct to peck at me when I put my hand in her nest, but I'm still leery of her.
I really want to get her in the "mommy suite" where her chicks will be safe from the rest of the flock and so they won't fall out of the nest again (about 3 feet off the floor).
I just want to be sure she's going to fully accept being a mother.
Any suggestions or advice, anyone?

 

[SmartyChick]

If she is a first time momma she is probably a little confused/scared. I think the only thing you can do is keep and eye on her. My first broody tried to kill her chick when it hatched. By the next days she was momma of the year and successfully raised all her chicks. As for moving her, I might wait til she has settled down, or put some kind of ramp up to the box so it's not an immediate drop for the babies. Momma will protect them from the other hens so no worries there.

Hope all goes well!

 

[ams3651]

just move her, she will be fine. I move my broody hens when they are still on the nest as soon as I notice them. Just keep an eye on her, when she is done hatching she will hopefully be more interested. it sounds like she will be just fine.

 

[Bookworm chick]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I went to the coop and just moved her and the chicks. She has definitely had a change in attitude in the last two hours. She flew at me after I'd moved them when one of the chicks let out a loud "peep". She seems settled now and is covering them and "talking" to them.. She definitely was thirsty and I feel a lot better now that the little family has the food and water available.
I had three hens out in the run "bawking" because they wanted to come in to lay their eggs. I have 4 nests but they all just use 2 of them (and a broody was hogging one of the 2 and the mama and chicks were in the other one) so I definitely had to make a move.
Again, thanks everybody.