Help w/late baby!

[thegreypony]

Broody hatched her nest out by around 2 pm on Wednesday. 2 eggs were left and showed no signs of anything but she kept pulling one underneath her and listening. By Thursday morning, the egg had a good start. Around 2 pm on Thursday she had left the nest box with her babies and the last egg to hatch had hatched. The baby was wet and although it was about 90 degrees outside, he wasn't doing so hot. We put everyone back on the nest but Momma was not too thrilled about the "new" baby and the sibs at this point are just all over the place. So I put the baby in the bator w/2 duck eggs to dry. Baby still didn't look too strong last night so he's still in the bator. Looking MUCH better. Do I wait until tonight to sneak him under Momma? Or would it be best to set up the brooder...don't want to raise him by himself and the other chicks are doing GREAT.

ETA - the VERY last egg was a dud...baby was dead.

 

[elmo]

You could try slipping it under the hen tonight. We hand brooded one of ours for most of the day it hatched then slipped it under the hen when she settled for the night. The next morning, it was fine and able to follow the other chicks.

It's a risk, though.