hen left her chick

[dfcest2006]

i have a BR that is only 6 monthes old. her and all of her sisters started laying very young. well this particular young hen evidentally went broody and i didn't know it. i usually discourage them from raising broods because it is so hard to part with the cross breed roosters when they start annoying their game rooster father.
anyhow with that bit of history this hen went broody i thought she was just missing until she showed up with 4 chicks under her wing a few weeks ago. since hatching she is down to just one who is doing very well. last night however, my daughter was outside after the big girls had gone to roost and she found the baby chick peeping its little heart out while momma was roosted in the tree!!! being as the tree is so high and im to pregnant to climb a ladder we took the baby in for the night. i had no idea what i was gonna do as this baby is all alone (no other chicks i could put it with). this morning though the momma was hanging out around the porch door where she could hear the not so well rested baby calling for her. i put the baby out with it's mom and she has been providing for it and letting it jump on her back ever since. has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? i wonder if im supposed to just keep bringing it in at night and giving it back to the mom every morning or what. i can't leave it out by itself all night because im affraid it's peeping will attrack coons or fox (which we've had) or other predators. please reply with any advice or tips

hope you all have a wonderful day!!

 

[gritsar]

It's very hard (read: annoying) to raise a singleton chick. I would keep encouraging mama to care for it.

Good luck to you and your little chick.

 

[centrarchid]

Yes.


Behavior normal. My game hens begin moving to elevated roost starting when chicks about 4 weeks post-hatch.

See thread for details on brooding sequence.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=451333

Chicks normally slow to acquire roost first couple evenings and younger hens hens sometimes make transition to elevated roosts that are diffult for chicks to reach. Best to give chick a little more time to reach roost or try placing it on a T-shaped stick and try getting it part way up tree, then let little bugger do rest.

 

[dfcest2006]

thank you for you encouragement! i did bring her in again last night and gave her back to moma this morning. they are still happy together

the tree they roost on is right next to the enclosed pin for the young newer birds so perhaps I will try placing the chick on the roof of that pin with an elevated stick as mentioned. praying this works

thank you and God bless!!

 

[dfcest2006]

Been a few days since I've been on the computer, but wanted to let you guys know the very next evening I went out around roosting time and couldn't find baby but there was moma in the tree... I was so sad until I looked under her and she had 4 feet!!! 2 of which were extremely small!!! The baby learned how to roost

Doing the happy dance!!!!

 

[kitkatnoah]

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Yea!

 

[gritsar]

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