Chickenlover8814
In the Brooder
- Jun 20, 2018
- 19
- 10
- 37
Hi everyone, I have a Blue Cochin hen that went broody about a month ago. We gave her some fertile eggs and she ended up hatching 4 chicks (all black and gray). She is a wonderful mother providing heat and warmth as well as feeding her little ones. It has been about a week and yesterday I was at our local feed store and ended up picking up a polish chick thinking she would accept it as she loved her chicks so much, the chick was quite strong but not quite as big as her's and was bright yellow with black stripes. At first she was curious but then quickly moved on with her chicks. That evening I slipped the chick under her in the brooder and the chick slept just fine. This morning as I was checking on her though, whenever the little yellow one popped out and Blu (mother hen) saw her she would his and peck at it. The little one always ran away either back under her or to me. I decided to leave her in a bit longer to see if maybe I was being paranoid. Eventually though it just kept happening. It was not a grooming peck either it was like Blu was trying to kill her 
. The same thing happened in the hen and chicks coop as well as the yard. I felt awful and took the chick out, currently she is in her own brooder with a mirror and some soft fluffy fleece with a heat lamp and food and water. Unfortunately, we are going out of town on a camping trip for 3 days on Saturday (bad timing) and I was wondering what I should do and if it was realistic/possible to raise this chick as a lone chick? I a few weeks when the chicks don't need their mother anymore, we are going to take her out and let her now pullets stay in the small coop with one incoming pullet (they would all be similarly aged) will they get along? thanks in advance to anyone who has ever dealt with this and/or has advice for me!!! Anything helps! 
. The same thing happened in the hen and chicks coop as well as the yard. I felt awful and took the chick out, currently she is in her own brooder with a mirror and some soft fluffy fleece with a heat lamp and food and water. Unfortunately, we are going out of town on a camping trip for 3 days on Saturday (bad timing) and I was wondering what I should do and if it was realistic/possible to raise this chick as a lone chick? I a few weeks when the chicks don't need their mother anymore, we are going to take her out and let her now pullets stay in the small coop with one incoming pullet (they would all be similarly aged) will they get along? thanks in advance to anyone who has ever dealt with this and/or has advice for me!!! Anything helps! 
Most hens bond strongly with their chicks within a day or so, and any others are regarded as 'strangers' and may be pecked and even killed. What you have done is what I would have recommended if it was not possible to get another chick for company.
