Hen does not take care of baby chick

[TheCuteBirds]

Ok, I have a baby chick, Skyline and a hen named Cannibal. Cannibal absolutely refuses to take care of Skyline, so she is sticking to my face while typing.
Cannibal will peck her on sight, so it is impossible for her to get Cannibal to parent her. Skyline wants to get her as a mom only because I held Cannibal to stop her from pecking, letting Skyline get under her for warmth. Skyline is like 2-4 weeks old, not sure. Cannibal is 8 months old. They are both bantams, not sure what species but it doesn't matter right now. So.. any help?

 

[Habibs Hens]

Ok, I have a baby chick, Skyline and a hen named Cannibal. Cannibal absolutely refuses to take care of Skyline, so she is sticking to my face while typing.
Cannibal will peck her on sight, so it is impossible for her to get Cannibal to parent her. Skyline wants to get her as a mom only because I held Cannibal to stop her from pecking, letting Skyline get under her for warmth. Skyline is like 2-4 weeks old, not sure. Cannibal is 8 months old. They are both bantams, not sure what species but it doesn't matter right now. So.. any help?

looks like your broody just doesnt want to care for her chicks

your only option is to removethe chick and brood it manually with a lamp

 

[TheCuteBirds]

She's not broody, and never has been. I remember I asked a similar question somewhere else and a reply said, chickens will take care of other babies?

 

[Eggcessive]

A chicken will not mother a baby chick unless she has just hatched some eggs, or has been broody. Some people have had luck putting a day old chick under a hen who is broody, but since your hen hasn't been broody at all, she will try to kill it. Please put it in a brooder with heat lamp and she needs a companion or 2 the same age. Chicks do not do well alone.

 

[TheCuteBirds]

Well this is interesting, I raised Cannibal from baby with a brother named Fluffy. Fluffy has passed though, as he was the runt and couldn't even stand. I don't have many chickens in my flock but with only 3, Goliath (HUGE ROOSTER), Skyline and Cannibal, none want him. And if somebody can answer, it'll be really useful. Why does Skyline always stand on my keyboard, stopping me from typing? lol

He's now messing up the mouse -.-

 

[galanie]

You have been answered, you just didn't care for the answer. Your chickens will kill it. You have no choice but to raise it yourself and will forever be on your keyboard, etc. unless you get it a friend and keep it with the friend in a box or something. I know all this because I've done it. I've had the exact problem of raising a chick by itself.

There are a few, and very few, that will take a chick. But the vast majority of hens will not "mother" a baby chick unless she can be convinced that it's hers. She won't be convinced since she's never been broody.

 

[TheCuteBirds]

I did take the answer, I am doing the same as you.

 

[TheCuteBirds]

Wait so you're saying that she won't take it unless it's broody?

 

[sumi]

No, she won't. When hens go broody they want to sit on eggs and hatch them. It's a hormonal thing. After a certain period, roughly 3 weeks, they will be ready for chicks. It takes a chick ± 21 days to develop and hatch. Sometimes people who doesn't have a rooster (and therefor no fertile eggs) will give the hen non-fertile or fake eggs to sit on for 3 weeks. When the 3 weeks is up it is time to give them some chicks. This is best done at night while the hen is sleeping, removing the infertile/fake eggs at the same time. If the hen was not broody to start with she will not be in the right mindset for chicks and will very likely kill it. It is not possible to make a hen go broody. Like I said, it's a hormonal thing and can happen any time. Some hens go broody often and some never do.