Day old chick ate scrambled egg! Panic? **UPDATE - sick chick HELP!**

[caralouise1974]

Is that okay? Momma fed it to her and I couldn't stop her. Momma is very thin and I've been trying to put weight back on her for the last week of setting, as she's completely wasted away. Hence, I've been feeding her scrambled egg and sunflower seeds once a day.

There's chick grit available, but it's a few feet from the nest and I'm worried the chick won't get to take any of it just yet. She's still sticking close to Momma and not moving from the nest.

 

[jenjscott]

Chicky will be fine, no problem

 

[Chickenmaven]

Panic? No. Save panic for burning buildings and car crashes.

Mamas will want to share whatever they have. Make sure she has a quantity of chick starter nearby. Even feed her, if she'll eat it from your hand. I, too, become very concerned at how thin the broody hens become. However, she will be up & about in a couple days. Then I would recommend mixing scrambled egg with chick starter & she can feast with her babies! Others may disagree, but I do not get wiggy about chick grit until the chicks are a few weeks old & are enjoying alot of treats.

 

[caralouise1974]

Phew, thanks very much! I'm a first time hatcher (and our girls is a first time broody) and I'm paranoid we're doing it all wrong.

When does the chick need to start drinking and eating? The chick crumbs and waterer are a couple of feet from the nest (closest I could get them), so I'm hoping it isn't getting desperate for sustanence!

 

[Judy]

They can easily survive for 3 days on the yolk they absorbed before hatching. Just leave the chick feed and water where mama and baby can get them Mama will do the rest, and she will probably have the chick eating before then.

Relax and enjoy your chickens!

 

[chicken_queen_tam]

Chicks and chickens will scratch thru cow pies and pig poo and even eat each other if they aren't getting the right vitamins and minerals in their diet, so scrambled eggs is a treat for them.

So try not to worry so much about the little things.

Tammy

 

[caralouise1974]

Thanks everyone- I shall stop being such a fusspot!

There's a big bowl of water for mamma (up on bricks, out of the chicks' reach), a chick waterer, and chick crumbs, along with a little pot of chick grit, so I think I've left them everything they need. The pop-hole door to the run is open, so I guess we just leave it to Momma to decide when to take them off the nest, show them the food and water, and then out into the wider world!

I shall stay out of it from now on and let her do her job!

 

[chicken_queen_tam]

No problem. I think 1st time moms go thru this. Many years ago when I got my first batch of chicks I was a nervous wreck.But after they became adult chickens and I saw what they would scratch thru to be able to get that one good little morsel I figured there wasn't no need to worry anymore.Oh momma chicken will know exactly how to take care of the little ones.

Good luck with the babies.
Tammy

 

[caralouise1974]

Just made a sad discovery - we have two live chicks - one very feisty and healthy and one 'flat' on its legs.

But unfortunately, there was one chick which looked fully formed, halfway out of its shell but dead. Why might that have happened? Dried out? Too weak to get out? Squashed by Momma? (She had her foot right on top of it when I found it).

And is there a chance that the 'flat' chick is simply tired and finding its feet or could this be serious? I picked it up and discovered it does have the ability to straighten its knees, it just doesn't seem keen to use them very much to stand fully upright. It is kind of laying back on its hocks. Any ideas?

 

[Chris623]

Often patience is the best medicine!

I had a chick that sat back on her haunches. It would walk about 3 or 4 steps and sit back down...........almost fall back down. I was really concerned something was wrong. Even asked here on the forum and really got no answers that helped. Decided to let God handle what I couldn't! 4 weeks and 3 days later and she is running around with the best of 'em. Sometimes we just have to take a nap and let God do his thing!