I am Tickled Chick Yellow - But Am I Doing Things Correctly?

[NGT ANGL]

Gosh...I wasn't this nervous when I had my son 20 years ago...One of my bantam Cochin hens went broody on one egg. On day 20 (6/30), I moved her off the nest like I was doing once a day so she would eat, drink, dust bathe, etc. The egg was pipped (pardon if I am using wrong terms). I was so excited but left her alone until later that evening. Looked again and she had a beautiful little chick!! In reading posts about broodies, new chicks, etc. on here, I read posts with varying opinions about leaving the new moms & chicks in with the flock. I was going to leave well enough alone and leave them roaming freely with the others but got concerned that the other chickens might step on the little one, plus the ramp from my coop to the run is pretty steep - I was again concerned that either the little one would fall off of it and be hurt/killed or wouldn't be able to get back up into the coop so I left mom and chick in the coop but sectioned them off. I put chick food and a chick waterer in their sectioned off part. Everytime I go out to the coop to check on them, mom is in the nest with chick under her. I haven't sat out there 24/7 but I never see them eating/drinking...I take all the chickens out once a day and put them in a pen to "free range" of a sort and today I rigged a little pen for mom and chick. Mom nestled in the grass and plucked at a bit of the grass and the chick came out a little and pecked at the grass and the chick feed I sprinkled close by. Maybe I am just an excited, nervous Nellie, but am I doing it all right? The chick looks healthy and while the mom looks a bit tired from brooding all that time, she looks pretty healthy too. Sorry for a rambling post but this is my first chick and I just want to make sure I am doing what I need to be doing for mom and chick. Advice will be appreciated!!

 

[Jamsoundsgood]

I don't have any advice but would love to see some pictures. Pretty please? With candy corn?

Emily

 

[NGT ANGL]

I LOVE candy corn - especially if it is stale and chewy! I know - I'm weird! OK, I have been trying for the last 45 minutes to get a pic to post but my home computer is dial up and is slow - sort of like chewy candy corn (

) but as soon as I can, I will post a pic! Thanks for asking and have a great, safe July 4th!

 

[Debbienmousey]

First off, congrats on your first hen-hatched chick!!

Secondly, I think they'll be OK. Our last hen to hatch eggs hatched only 1 chick also and I had to take the rest of the eggs away because she had broken one of them. For a couple days after her chick hatched the hen just kept sitting on nothing. I moved her to a cage and she still sat on nothing for about a day. (But before the hen was in the cage I knew that she and her chick were drinking and eating a little food.) Two days after being in the cage and the hen was up and scratching around in the cage like a normal mother hen.

Good luck

 

[warmwater]

Hello, my hen just hatched 5 chicks--4-3 and 2 days old. I had her sectioned off from the other girls the whole time. After the chicks hatched, my DH made me a 2x5 pen to put her and the chicks in. (I was always worried something would happen. He either made it to ease my mind or shut me up....either way--it's great!!) We put it in the hen house so the other girls can see Harriet and the chicks. Hopefully this will help when Harriet goes back with the girls and when the chicks get big enough to be let loose in the hen house. If you can, keep her and the chick seperated. Everyone has their own thoughts on this, but I would rather be safe than sorry.........First to me, the chick/starter feed was to big for the little chicks so I put it in my food processer and made it finer. Then I put it in a large round ashtray and put it in front of Harriet....in no time she was showing her chicks how to eat and drink. On day 3 they say the chicks need grit to help with digestion...couldn't find grit for baby chicks so I searched the web and found out that you can sprinkle parakeet gravel/grit on their food. I tell you this because the chick starter may be to big for your little chick to eat....just try it and watch them for awhile. Hopefully this works for you.

 

[catwalk]

Congrats on your new chick! I bet you're as proud as the hen!

 

[Junkmanme]

My "broody" Buff Orpington sat on 6 eggs, hatched ONE. I checked the eggs that didn't hatch. 1 had died in the shell, the others NEVER DEVELOPED (not fertile?)

I bought 16 day-olds (5 or 7 days old, probably) and put them in with the broody and her new chick. EVERYBODY (except one NEW chick) gets along fine. My broody hen thinks ALL of them are HERS! (except ONE, which she hates.) I removed it and let it run with my other grown chickens. It has become my favorite and sits on my lap when I visit. I named it "Face" because it looks different than all the other purchased chicks (Black Stars). I think it may have some "Gold-Laced Wyandotte" in its genetics. Although other than the "face", it looks like the other Black Stars.

My broody hen, Mopsy, is a good Momma, but she "hates" that ONE chick and ain't real fond of me either!

Oh Well, I've had wives with the same attitude!

Ha-Ha!

-Junkmanme-

 

[NGT ANGL]

A heartfelt "thank you" to everyone who responded and offered congratulations, advice and suggestions. I'm not sure what happened but the little chick died the Friday following its hatching on Tuesday...it was OK that morning but when I went out that evening, it was gone...it wasn't abnormally not and food/water were right outside of the nest box. I just can't help but wonder if Chloe just didn't really show it how to drink because everytime I went to check on them, she was on the nest. I dipped its beak in the water and it was pecking around at the food, but who knows? Thanks again and good luck to all of you with chicks!