Dyeing chick so it won't be rejected

[SpringFarmChick]

I have a serama raising several chicks. One of the last to hatch is a beautiful gray chick (they are all mixed hybrids) but the hen has rejected it and pecks it. All the other chicks are yellow and brown. I am thinking of dyeing the gray a brownish color so it can blend in (mixing food color dye). Has anyone done this or have recommendations?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wouldn't do that. I'd bring it in and put it in a brooder, perhaps with one of its hatchmates till it gains strength. Perhaps about 3 days. Then reunite them and see what happens.
Are the chicks serama also?

 

[SpringFarmChick]

Update: I did not get the above reply and I was tired of hearing the chick squeal when the hen nipped at it. The hen is in a brooder box with the chicks as it is too cold here to have them in the coop yet. I dyed the chick, using a mix of green, blue and red food color. It was not easy to apply the food color--I put it in a teacup and put the chick in there and used my fingers to dob it on (toothbrush and cotton ball did not work). My hands got nice and brown too. Then I stuck the chick back under the hen to dry. Anyway, success! I got the chick brown enough that the hen leaves it alone, and it is able to be out with the other chicks rather than cowering beneath her all the time. The serama is raising a mix of chicks, seramas and easter eggers (and who knows what the father was as I have a mix of roos).

 

[benevolent_leonela]

That is interesting that your technique worked but I'm not sure that using food dye to color your chicks feathers is good for the overall health of the developing plumage. In any case where you have birds who aren't getting along for some reason the first step that should always be taken is to separate them.

Best of luck.

 

[CIuck]

Update: I did not get the above reply and I was tired of hearing the chick squeal when the hen nipped at it. The hen is in a brooder box with the chicks as it is too cold here to have them in the coop yet. I dyed the chick, using a mix of green, blue and red food color. It was not easy to apply the food color--I put it in a teacup and put the chick in there and used my fingers to dob it on (toothbrush and cotton ball did not work). My hands got nice and brown too. Then I stuck the chick back under the hen to dry. Anyway, success! I got the chick brown enough that the hen leaves it alone, and it is able to be out with the other chicks rather than cowering beneath her all the time. The serama is raising a mix of chicks, seramas and easter eggers (and who knows what the father was as I have a mix of roos).

Can you post a picture of the dyed chick, I would love to see the color. Interesting solution! Im glad the chick isnt being rejected anymore

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Update: I did not get the above reply and I was tired of hearing the chick squeal when the hen nipped at it. The hen is in a brooder box with the chicks as it is too cold here to have them in the coop yet. I dyed the chick, using a mix of green, blue and red food color. It was not easy to apply the food color--I put it in a teacup and put the chick in there and used my fingers to dob it on (toothbrush and cotton ball did not work). My hands got nice and brown too. Then I stuck the chick back under the hen to dry. Anyway, success! I got the chick brown enough that the hen leaves it alone, and it is able to be out with the other chicks rather than cowering beneath her all the time. The serama is raising a mix of chicks, seramas and easter eggers (and who knows what the father was as I have a mix of roos).

What part did you not understand?

What is the ambient day/night temperature where you are?
Until the most extreme temps, the hen should be able to keep the chicks warm regardless of temp.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a serama raising several chicks. One of the last to hatch is a beautiful gray chick (they are all mixed hybrids) but the hen has rejected it and pecks it. All the other chicks are yellow and brown. I am thinking of dyeing the gray a brownish color so it can blend in (mixing food color dye). Has anyone done this or have recommendations?

I've never done this, but I know of others who have. It's usually done when there has been a mistake made with who laid which egg and an egg from another hen who mated with another rooster gets hatched by ahen who has her own eggs mainly.
There are some possible problems though. Some hens will reject a chick because it looks different but ime it's not often. Hens here have rejected chicks that have had health problems that didn't become apparent until later.
Some have rejected just survivors from a badly staggered hatch. This is natural behaviour. The hen knows that a chick that is say 72 hours behind the rest will not be able to compete with the rest for food and warmth and if free ranging or semi feral, won't be able to keep up with the group which is very important.
I would be interested to hear how this works out in the long run.
It's worth a try and better imo than taking the chick away from mum.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

What part did you not understand?

What is the ambient day/night temperature where you are?
Until the most extreme temps, the hen should be able to keep the chicks warm regardless of temp.

I think they meant that they didn't see the reply.

 

[SpringFarmChick]

The temperature in my area now is 40s to freezing during the day, mid twenties at night. Not a great time to have chicks, but a hen's gotta do what a hen's gotta do. I have had hens kill "strange looking" chicks in the past, but always had good luck with seramas as foster mothers up until now. This one gave the first dark brown chick the stink eye, but accepted it. She is a first time mother. I do not believe anything is wrong with this chick (aside from the color in the hen's eye). There are younger white chicks in the batch. The chick seems active and healthy and has no breathing problems. The color change from the dyeing was not extreme (not like turning a chick pink). I just got it a bit darker. Frankly we all loved the silver color. I just lost my only silver hen to a hawk so was happy to see this color.

 

[bhawk-23]

Clever idea! Super glad it worked!

I had a broody raise 12 chicks in some really cold weather. I was kinda scared but she did a fabulous job keeping them warm!! It went down to the teens one night and multiple days of freezing temps during the day and colder at night. All 12 chicks survived! She would take breaks while free ranging to warm them up. It was super cool to watch.