Maggie has abandoned her chick!

[Ebony Rose]

Maggie and Pauly (which I thing will be a Polly!) are both doing well. Polly is now jumping down from the roost and leaving the coop alone without mommy Maggie! He is spending more and more time away from her without "needing her" it seems. Nice to see that she will be ok.

Thanks for the update!

 

[aart]

Maggie and Pauly (which I thing will be a Polly!) are both doing well. Polly is now jumping down from the roost and leaving the coop alone without mommy Maggie! He is spending more and more time away from her without "needing her" it seems. Nice to see that she will be ok.

Great!
Always good to see the broody babies make their way after weaning.
Have 8 week old broody chicks there that are just being weaned, the older ones seem to have it easier, plus there's 7 of them, tho the boys are starting to crow and pick on the girls.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Great!
Always good to see the broody babies make their way after weaning.
Have 8 week old broody chicks there that are just being weaned, the older ones seem to have it easier, plus there's 7 of them, tho the boys are starting to crow and pick on the girls.

It's got to be much easier when there is more than one! Little Polly (I think it's a girl!) ran off alone this morning from the coop, not waiting for Mom. Maggie mommy went into coop #2 and waited for "her" nest box to lay while Polly wandered with the rest of the flock. She is pretty much accepted and very rarely gets a good peck from someone, usually only happens over a tasty bit of food! Young boys learning to crow is so entertaining, the sound can be scary, like something being strangled! I sit with my chickens in and out of the free range area for hours each day. Only the heat can drive me away!

 

[Peppercorngal]

Polly is 7 weeks. I think it's a pullet! Yay!

 

[Peppercorngal]

Maggie has been back with the flock since the middle of July. Last night she didn't go into coop #1 and roost like normal. She went into coop #2 and sat in the nesting box. This morning she was still there. She hadn't laid an egg. . . I'm praying she is not getting broody again! Polly was with her in the box too, she is still acting like such a baby!

 

[Peppercorngal]

Update: Maggie is still hanging out in the nesting box. I made her leave yesterday and she went out and ate, drank and then roosted in the run. Last night she was back in the nesting box. Big ole Polly is in the box too! She's running with the flock most of the time but just has to have Mom under surveillance!! Such a baby. I'll wait a few days and then try to put the chicks I bought under Maggie. ?????

 

[aart]

Update: Maggie is still hanging out in the nesting box. I made her leave yesterday and she went out and ate, drank and then roosted in the run. Last night she was back in the nesting box. Big ole Polly is in the box too! She's running with the flock most of the time but just has to have Mom under surveillance!! Such a baby. I'll wait a few days and then try to put the chicks I bought under Maggie. ?????

I would block the nests so no one sleeps in them...
...or put nest sleeping birds on roost after dark.
If Maggie hasn't been broody for a couple weeks,
and the chicks are more than a day old,
getting her to adopt them will be dicey.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I would block the nests so no one sleeps in them...
...or put nest sleeping birds on roost after dark.
If Maggie hasn't been broody for a couple weeks,
and the chicks are more than a day old,
getting her to adopt them will be dicey.

No one sleeps in the nesting boxes. Maggie just started that 2 nights ago. No one else does, ever. If she won't adopt these chicks, she'll just have to go without. . . . I may be able to wait a few more days, but not much longer than that.

 

[Peppercorngal]

It's official. Polly is no longer a baby. Last night she roosted in Coop #1 with the majority of the flock, while mama Maggie was in Coop #2! She is finally moving away from having to be with mama! Good news. It's harder for a lone chick I think.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

There are no chicks anywhere to be found this time of year. I wanted to get a day old for my other broody hen, but can't find a one. I can incubate, but that would take another month, so it's not an option here.

I could be wrong, but I think the chick will be OK because she is probably part of the flock. It sounds like she has enough room to get away from the others if she has to and when they go in the coop at night they usually just sleep. I think if you were to get another chick, that one would get attacked.