Introducing chicks - is this normal?

[bantam_babies]

To make a long story short: we lost 5 of our 6 bantams to what we suspect was a coyote. The only remaining chicken was a bantam rooster. I hopped over to Rural King and found what appeared to be a 3 week old Dark Cornish chick completely alone, so of course I brought it home despite it being a gamble since it was straight run. This week I went back and bought three teensy Buff Orpington pullets, and introduced them rather quickly since my heart was breaking that the Dark Cornish had been without any other chickens for weeks, as my rooster is not at all friendly.

Today I find this during their daily excursion outside the brooder. So cute!

So my question: is this normal? And also - can I be assured that this is a hen and not a rooster, based on this behavior?

TIA!

 

[lazy gardener]

No idea if it's a pullet or cockerel. Cornish have a rep for being broody.

 

[Chicken lover06]

Yes it's normal the baby chicks were cold so the huddled up under the bigger chick to try to warm up and in that case to you have a headlamp heater or something warm for them

 

[bantam_babies]

Yes it's normal the baby chicks were cold so the huddled up under the bigger chick to try to warm up and in that case to you have a headlamp heater or something warm for them

They have a nice warm brooder box that they're usually in It's been in the mid 80s and they just had a little outdoors time, but I guess it was too chilly in the shade!

 

[auroaSfarm]

I'd love to have a broody hen. I have a silkie they're pretty broody so I hope I can get some babies! (P.s I have roosters Bantam d'uccle mille feur and a silkie rooster)

 

[peeper89]

he love them

 

[dabaker2939]

Hi I have a similiar situation. I lost all my chickens except for 1. I just purchased 9 new baby chicks that are about 2 weeks old. I was wondering if I could introduce them to my only adult chicken . I feel bad because she should not be alone. What do you guys think.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is that normal? Hard to say. Chickens are social animals and really like to be with other chickens. On the other hand they can be brutes and bullies to weaker chickens. Each chicken is an individual you can't be sure how any will behave in similar circumstances. With that being an only chicken (sort of) I'd say that's not what I'd expect most of the time but it's not that unusual either.

I don't think they are going under that chick because they are cold, I think they just like cuddling and the company.

That does not guarantee that you have a female. It's hard to tell from those photos but the comb looks like it is probably a male. That is still a very young chick, sometimes differences in behavior due to sexual differences show up pretty early but usually not. It could easily be that it is just a lonely chick that decided to not be a bully.

Often a rooster will help take care of young chicks. That's much more likely than a hen that is not broody taking care of them. At that age a rooster assumes they are his kids so is more likely to take care of them than a hen that knows she didn't hatch them.

If I'd had to guess I'd have expected it to be the old rooster taking care of them, not the young chick. You just got lucky. And this is another example of why chicken TV is usually better than anything on cable, antenna, or satellite. They can be fascinating to watch. Thanks for sharing.