Introducing a poult back to its mom

[esavvymom]

I have a new poult that I had to rescue from certain death after it was born. One had already died....I think trampled. This one was close, and the third was ok. Mom was fighting off some male guineas who were in her space. We got mom and baby in it’s own space and rescued the little one. (We didn’t even know she had eggs and was broody. I was traveling the last month, plus the Tom has become aggressive in the last few months and I am just plain scared of the big jerk! He is huge and attacks everyone now, unless you go out armed (we carry a big hockey stick just in case....so my teen son did most of the chores....and doesn’t always pay attention to those details, like the same eggs for a month! )

Anyway, for the one we rescued, 36 hrs later, it is up and around, eating and drinking and full of spunk. It walks more stable as compared to yesterday. So I want to try to give it back to mom.

What is the best way to do that? She still has one poult and one egg (not sure if viable) that she is sitting on. Do we introduce on the evening (like with chickens)? We figured we would watch to see if she took it under wing either way, or would she reject it.

Suggestions?

 

[R2elk]

I have a new poult that I had to rescue from certain death after it was born. One had already died....I think trampled. This one was close, and the third was ok. Mom was fighting off some male guineas who were in her space. We got mom and baby in it’s own space and rescued the little one.

36 hrs later, it is up and around, eating and drinking and full of spunk. It walks more stable as compared to yesterday. So I want to try to give it back to mom.

What is the best way to do that? She still has one poult and one egg (not sure if viable) that she is sitting on. Do we introduce on the evening (like with chickens)? We figured we would watch to see if she took it under wing either way, or would she reject it.

Suggestions?

When I introduce poults to an adult hen (not necessarily the poult's mother), I always do it in the daytime where the hen and poult/s are alone. I stand in the pen with them to observe and react quickly if separation is necessary.

If the hen is going to accept the poult, she will coo and plead with it and allow or even herd it under her. If she is not going to accept the poult, she will at the best ignore it and at the worst she will peck at its head.

Good luck.

 

[esavvymom]

When I introduce poults to an adult hen (not necessarily the poult's mother), I always do it in the daytime where the hen and poult/s are alone. I stand in the pen with them to observe and react quickly if separation is necessary.

If the hen is going to accept the poult, she will coo and plead with it and allow or even herd it under her. If she is not going to accept the poult, she will at the best ignore it and at the worst she will peck at its head.

Good luck.

Thank you! We will give it a go tomorrow. My son doesn’t want to of course....I think that 20 minutes that he held the little one to his chest to keep it warm, he got attached.

 

[R2elk]

Thank you! We will give it a go tomorrow. My son doesn’t want to of course....I think that 20 minutes that he held the little one to his chest to keep it warm, he got attached.

That happens all too easily. Personally I take poults away from the hens as soon as I find them. There are just too many bad things that can happen to a very young poult when it is in the general population.

 

[esavvymom]

That happens all too easily. Personally I take poults away from the hens as soon as I find them. There are just too many bad things that can happen to a very young poult when it is in the general population.

Right now, we have mom and baby in the coop alone. The Tom and the guineas have been ousted into the larger chicken coop and run (they end up in their half the time anyway). Do you think the babies and mom would be ok alone then?
We travel a lot for hockey, so I just can’t have a brooder of chicks (this was unplanned..we were surprised by then yesterday). Normally we’d do this in the spring or summer. My in-laws can’t manage much more than our dog which is already a special-needs animal.

 

[R2elk]

Right now, we have mom and baby in the coop alone. The Tom and the guineas have been ousted into the larger chicken coop and run (they end up in their half the time anyway). Do you think the babies and mom would be ok alone then?
We travel a lot for hockey, so I just can’t have a brooder of chicks (this was unplanned..we were surprised by then yesterday). Normally we’d do this in the spring or summer. My in-laws can’t manage much more than our dog which is already a special-needs animal.

The poults and their mother separated from the general population may do very well.