HELP !! Broody / babies ..

[Miz Mary]

Broody hatch 1 chick 4 days ago ...then 2 more yesterday ...... thia am I checked on them , they were fine ..... 2 hours later I check , and the 4 day old chick was about 6 '
inches away from Mama , almost dead !!! Brought chick in house, made it drink water , warmed it up ...... it lived !!!! But now it is crying being alone !! So, I put it back out with Mama ...so far so good ..... QUESTION ..... I have hen/chicks in cat carrier , with a wired pen .... inside the big hen house area .... mama was setting on chicks outside the nest when I just checked on them !!!! It's like the chicks went out to explore , and instead of Mama getting them 3 back in the nest , she just gathered them where they were !!! Will they be ok all night , with Mama .....or should I lock them up in the cat carrier all night , let them out in the am ????? Remember , the first chick was I guess 'lost ' 6 inches from mama and almost died !!! I guessing from lack of warmth ??

 

[ralleia]

My response would be to lock them in the carrier tonight, and open it in the morning.

If the hen was still hatching out eggs yesterday (is she still sitting on any?) then it'll take her about 24 hours to transition her hormones from "incubating eggs" to "mothering chicks" mode.

At some point she'll have to give up on any eggs that she has to take care of the chicks. In the meantime, the chicks need to stay near to keep warm.

The other possibility is that this chick isn't listening to momma. Does she call the chicks to her? It's a "chook chook" sound that she especially makes when she's showing them food.

 

[Judy]

Agree with above. And mama will cover them wherever they are, not necessarily call them back to the nest.

Hopefully she'll have it all together by tomorrow.

 

[StephanieD]

I moved momma and 6 eggs into a dog crate and moved them to the inside porch for a total of 5 days. Day two- 3 chicks hatched and Day four- 1 hatched. Silkie sat on two more eggs that I had to dispose of. She was not happy about me taking them but the other chicks needed her. I was not going to take any chicks in the house, my goal was to let mother nature take it's course. She sat on the chicks for another day-and-a-half. Then I moved the crate outside on the concrete slab. The following day I opened it, but I waited till Silkie was up and moving around. I let them out once that first day and twice a day since then. They are now 10 days old. They LOVE to roam around the yard but I only allow that when I am outside watching them. We have crows and another hen that would love to have a lil snack!

 

[san415]

My broody covers her two chicks where ever they are in the area I sectioned off for them in the coop. Its very cold here, snow sleet ice storm last night

My broody will cover the chicks and the little food dish too, so the chicks can eat under her where its warm. She sleeps with them where ever she and they end up now that they are a few days old. The first day seemed a bit of a question for her but now she is taking great care of them.

 

[NanaLantana]

Maybe the early hatch chick had to try and find food and water while momma sat on the eggs - maybe it got too cold, hungry and thirsty. good thing you watered and fed it before giving it back to momma. I'm glad she's doing her job well, now!