is imprinting on a human OK?

[OkapisRule]

I have a mama that's hatching eggs and we took one that was in the process of hatching so it could imprint on me. Is there anything wrong with a chick imprinting on a human instead of its mom?

 

[Josie]

I think it is okay, though its just a matter of opinion. You might want to have more than one egg though, because that chick will be very lonely, and the hen won't take her back.

 

[Cara]

It sounds like a bad idea to me. The egg/chick either needs to be under its mother or in an incubator until the chick has dried out fully, or it will get chilled. It needs company in the brooder also, and will cheep constantly if it is by itself. I've never had a chick imprint on a person, a lonely chick will want company but it won't see a human as its mother. Mother Nature knows best, i'd leave it be in the best interests of the chick.

 

[aberfitch]

what about us who dont have mother hens. We only have bators that hatched the chicks.

 

[Cara]

Typically you'll have more than one chick hatch at a time in an incubator. It doesn't make sense to me to take a chick away from its mother so early when she is capable of taking care of it.