Fall brooding? Story and questions

[Lisa Wood]

Day 21 for my broody Sebright....the eggs are hatching-- I went in this morning and saw her pecking gently at something not under her, ran and got a flashlight and there was a tiny black chick out in the hay. Cold and limp. Totally fluffed out. It's cold this morning, 47º . I thought, well, it's dead and she pushed it to the side. I took it in my hand and felt it move! I have it inside on a heating pad (on low). It has been opening its beak and moving slightly. I keep touching it to stimulate it. I keep checking on the broody, then on this chick. I don't know if she'd push the others out....I did get a glimpse of one unhatched egg. There were 3 all together. Dutch bantams, this chick is tiny.

One thing we don't worry about. It's still up to 90% during the day here and we still serve ice Water!

 

[SueT]

AWWW. Got a name yet?

Ernest Shackleton, because it went on a desperate journey into the cold......

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Ernest Shackleton, because it went on a desperate journey into the cold......

OMG I love it!!! Terrific name.

 

[SueT]

Here he is, little Ernest. Getting more active. Mom seems to be taking care of the other(s) just fine. If so, this one will be slipped under her...maybe wait till dark?
I've got a ceramic heat emitter bulb in a clamp light and temp is 93º. The heating pad seemed to be too warm on low, I didn't make a mama heating pad tunnel out of it, since he is going back to his real mama.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

I'm calling him Shackleton! Sounds like a frat boy name.... hahaha! And yes, wait until dark, when mama has gone to sleep, to slip him under her. Shouldn't be an issue.

 

[SueT]

I went out to check on mama broody. The chick under her was making a lot of noise, and she stood up and I could see it. It is also black. The 3rd egg looked intact and she pushed it back under her. The baby got out beside her and she was pecking at it gently until it went back under. I assume she was telling it to go back in? Maybe she was trying to get the first one back in too, she had been poking at it.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Maybe try slipping in Shackleton now???

 

[CelticArche]

I look forward to hearing more about Shackleton. I name my birds off handedly. We have a chick that's a pullet that I named Houdini, cause she kept escaping the pen and I couldn't figure out how she was doing it. I didn't know she was a pullet till recently, as she's getting bigger than the mom that hatched her. Her dad was supposed to be a Dominique, but I think he might have been a Cream Leghorn. Her egg momma is a black EE named Blackberry.

 

[SueT]

Maybe try slipping in Shackleton now???

I'm tempted. Not only does it need the stimulation of its mama and sibling(s), but I want to see exactly what happens when introduced, not do it blindly in the dark... and then worry all night. However I could wait until early morning about half an hour before light....

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Really no easy answer on this huh?
Does mama seem to be looking for him?