- Jun 24, 2014
- 24
- 4
- 67
Ok so here is the situation:
3x one week old chicks + 1x day old chick + one mama hen =?
I had 8 eggs in the incubator and only 3 hatched..
But wait.... I had 2 more, put in the incubator a week later.... (long story .. we had a roo and wanted him to fertilize our silkie hen.. he did but we had to re-home him so we wanted to incubate all the eggs we could)
Only 3 hatched (incubator went flaky and got "cool" at the end of the hatch 5 died after lockdown.
Now the 3 are a week old under mama and doing well- they are out from under her and pecking / scratching etc..
One of the 2 other eggs hatched today.
We dont really have a brooder.
Is there any way I can slip the chick under her and it will survive. I know she will adopt it. she is like that as a mama. BUT the others are so mobile at a week and I dont know if she will just sit on the #4 while the other are out and about in their pen.
So should I try putting #4 under her or should I leave it in the incubator for a couple days with food and water and the top propped open for ventilation?
Any ideas / suggestions.
Thanks.
Thor
3x one week old chicks + 1x day old chick + one mama hen =?
I had 8 eggs in the incubator and only 3 hatched..
But wait.... I had 2 more, put in the incubator a week later.... (long story .. we had a roo and wanted him to fertilize our silkie hen.. he did but we had to re-home him so we wanted to incubate all the eggs we could)
Only 3 hatched (incubator went flaky and got "cool" at the end of the hatch 5 died after lockdown.

Now the 3 are a week old under mama and doing well- they are out from under her and pecking / scratching etc..
One of the 2 other eggs hatched today.
We dont really have a brooder.
Is there any way I can slip the chick under her and it will survive. I know she will adopt it. she is like that as a mama. BUT the others are so mobile at a week and I dont know if she will just sit on the #4 while the other are out and about in their pen.
So should I try putting #4 under her or should I leave it in the incubator for a couple days with food and water and the top propped open for ventilation?
Any ideas / suggestions.
Thanks.
Thor