- Jul 6, 2011
- 698
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I had a broody momma setting some eggs, only one ended up hatching. She has been okay with it, but not the best. She runs away from it often and now after only about 3 weeks she has completely left it and is back to laying eggs. Guess the motherhood gene/hormones are not strong with her. he left her first set of babies around week 4 too and another broody hen took them in and raised them as her own with her other babies. It was the sweetest thing to see her take those babies under her wind.
So this poor solitary chick, a red shouldered yokohama, is running around the chicken yard screaming for its momma. She is no where to be found. I am worried about one of my barn cats making a tasty little snack of it. I caught it and tried putting it in the brooder. In the brooder I have 6 other chicks, the same age and then 6 that are 5 weeks older. Big mistake, they tried to kill it.
So as a last resort I tucked it under another broody. This particular broody has been setting on some non-fertile eggs for about 3 weeks (I don't have any to give her). She has already raised one clutch this year, and is the same one that I mentioned before, took in the other hens babies. So on a wing and a prayer this morning I tucked that little chick under that momma and pulled the two eggs she was sitting on out from under her. She kind of adjusted herself a bit and tucked the tail feathers of that chick under her better. I gave one sigh of relief that it didn't try to attack it. I waited a bit and then went back to check on her. I reached my hand in there and she raised her feathers up at me and screamed. So I guess she wants this baby. Now the trick will be for this baby to want to be "babied" again like a new hatching for a few days. I hope so. It is chilly and rainy today, so I thin it will want to stay under her to be warm. It has some feathers, but is still downy on the head and neck. Please keep your fingers crossed and pray that she adopts this chick and keeps it safe from the barn cats until it is old enough to take care of itself.
Anyone else have experiences with this???
So this poor solitary chick, a red shouldered yokohama, is running around the chicken yard screaming for its momma. She is no where to be found. I am worried about one of my barn cats making a tasty little snack of it. I caught it and tried putting it in the brooder. In the brooder I have 6 other chicks, the same age and then 6 that are 5 weeks older. Big mistake, they tried to kill it.
So as a last resort I tucked it under another broody. This particular broody has been setting on some non-fertile eggs for about 3 weeks (I don't have any to give her). She has already raised one clutch this year, and is the same one that I mentioned before, took in the other hens babies. So on a wing and a prayer this morning I tucked that little chick under that momma and pulled the two eggs she was sitting on out from under her. She kind of adjusted herself a bit and tucked the tail feathers of that chick under her better. I gave one sigh of relief that it didn't try to attack it. I waited a bit and then went back to check on her. I reached my hand in there and she raised her feathers up at me and screamed. So I guess she wants this baby. Now the trick will be for this baby to want to be "babied" again like a new hatching for a few days. I hope so. It is chilly and rainy today, so I thin it will want to stay under her to be warm. It has some feathers, but is still downy on the head and neck. Please keep your fingers crossed and pray that she adopts this chick and keeps it safe from the barn cats until it is old enough to take care of itself.
Anyone else have experiences with this???
