How to Set Up Momma Hen and Chick for Success - Need a Plan!

[Yardmom]

How is the hen reacting to the chick (If at all)? If Im understanding correctly the current hen has only been sitting a few days. I would keep an eye on this as the hen may not be ready yet for chicks. She may even see the chick as an intruder in the nest.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I feed a lower calcium, high protein feed in pellets. For newly hatched chicks that won't be needing a lot of feed I just put the pellets in a blender and pulse it a few times. Breaks it up without turning it to dust.

My last batch of 10 chicks I used the blender for a week then just left the pellets to see if they could take it. Yup.

If I get lucky enough to have a broody when chicks are hatching from the incubator I always let the hen raise them. Because I like easy. I check to see if she'll take them by setting a chick down a foot away from her. Even if she just hatched some chicks. The chick will always chirp and run to her and if she lifts up slightly it runs under. That's a good to go signal for me to get the others and set them down by her. I've had a hen take chicks that were a week older than the ones she hatched.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

The chick will be exhausted for the time following hatch. But it will be up and about in several hours. The mother will try to feed it. The pellets will not work. New chicks don't even try to eat something so large. Starter chick feed is milled fine, and that's what you want for both hen and chicks. Glad you thought to put rocks in the water. Does the hen have grit?

I added water to the feed before I left for work to help it dissolve a bit in case baby tries to eat, but on my way home today I will be sure to get chick feed. Grit for the hen slipped my mind, but I’ll put a little dish in there for her later today. She can still climb out of the nesting box in case she needs to, but the baby won’t be able to get out.

Do you think the setup in the nesting box is fine for now? I was planning to leave it like this for a couple of days before I try and transition them to a sectioned off area on the floor of the coop. I thought about using an extra large dog crate to simplify things until it’s safe for her to take the baby outside with the others, but I’m not sure yet.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

How is the hen reacting to the chick (If at all)? If Im understanding correctly the current hen has only been sitting a few days. I would keep an eye on this as the hen may not be ready yet for chicks. She may even see the chick as an intruder in the nest.

The current hen has been broody for about two weeks, but has been sitting on this egg since Friday when my silkie gave up. I haven’t heard her do any cooing and she hasn’t seemed to look at the baby much, but she seems protective and won’t let others near her box (she puffs up and stares them down). She’s made sure the baby has been warm and seemed to tuck her under her wing when the baby had moved out from under her.

Definitely keeping a close eye on this. Hoping for the best. I really don’t want to brood a single chick and deal with the integration process, but I’ll do what I must

 

[Yardmom]

Ok 2 weeks should be enough. She will bring the chick down soon. If you don't want them to rome the main coop, move them when you get home. I personally would let them mix with the flock, but I understand wanting to keep them separate. A large enough dog crate (small upper holes) works well for separation. I let my broodies hatch in them. With a low ranking hen I have left them in a week and a half. They could have remained longer if needed.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Ok 2 weeks should be enough. She will bring the chick down soon. If you don't want them to rome the main coop, move them when you get home. I personally would let them mix with the flock, but I understand wanting to keep them separate. A large enough dog crate (small upper holes) works well for separation. I let my broodies hatch in them. With a low ranking hen I have left them in a week and a half. They could have remained longer if needed.

If I don’t have to separate them, I’ll try leaving them together and see what happens! She’s my biggest hen and is at the top of the pecking order, so I don’t think anyone will mess with the baby and I don’t think mom would have a hard time keeping anyone away. I just worry about the baby getting into the run and not being able to get back in the coop (see photos for coop layout) because it’s elevated and baby might have a hard time with the ramp, so I figured separating them would keep this problem from happening… Open to suggestions Don’t want to deal with reintegration if I can avoid it, that’s for sure.

 

[Yardmom]

I have a ramp too. My mamas don't usually bring the baby out until about the second week. Most times babies have not had a problem. I say most as occasionally we have had to show a chick or 2 what to do. We walk the chicks up the ramp if they didn't follow mom up. Definitely something to keep an eye on.

 

[azygous]

I staple an old hand towel to the ramp to provide a non-skid surface and it makes it easier for tiny chick feet to navigate the ramp.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Good morning,

Yesterday morning I noticed my broodies switched nests and there’s a new mom on the baby. She seems to be doing a much better job, trilling and cooing at the baby. The other hen is up and about but this one has stayed in the nest. It’s like she adopted the chick. They have both been broody for the same amount of time. I trust this hen to be a good mom, she’s still high on the pecking order, but I noticed a wound on the chick’s head.
I put Simply Neosporin on it because it was all I had on hand. I’ve never had a chick with an injury before. It’s not bloody.
I’m not sure if this happened when the moms switched or what, I haven’t seen anything bit sweet behavior towards the baby so I’m not sure what happened. Should this cause a lot of concern? I don’t want to take the chick away from the mom, nevertheless brood a single chick by hand.

 

[azygous]

If the wound was from bad intentions the chick would be mangled. Trust the behavior you are seeing.