Mama is a wreck, should I remove chick?

[gander111]

My broody hen hatched an egg, so I separated mom and baby to their own pen. Mama was ok at first but now she is a wreck, she paces and is losing a lot of feathers and doesn't seem happy at all, I don't think she is eating well either. The chick is three weeks old and I'm thinking of bringing it in the house and placing it in a brooder. At the same time I want to move mama back to the coop during the night and place her on the roost with her flock mates. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!
Additionally, I will be getting 13 new chicks next week.. can I keep the current chick with the new ones?

 

[ll]

How big is "the pen"?
Does she normally free range during the day?
Has she been out for a dustbath or sunshine during the 3 weeks?
My momma hen took her babies out for a walk so she could dust bathe @ almost a week old -maybe yours is getting eager to get out for a bit ("cooped up")?
The chick will be lonely by itself if you bring it in to your brooder.
I think it's recommended to not keep a 3 week old chick with a new batch unless they are the same age.
You should also quarantine your new batch of chicks for a month before introducing them to your existing birds.

 

[gander111]

40" x 60" x 24" high.

 

[gander111]

She has been out twice to free range and dust bathe. Normally my chickens free range most days, but I just lost a hen to a hawk, so I.m keeping them in their run for now.

 

[donrae]

I'd try putting momma and baby back in general population together. Momma should still watch out for the chick and keep everyone else from being too hard on it. Momma will be happeir with a social life and chick will start learning how to interact with the flock.

 

[ll]

^ yes @ donrae - and good luck!

 

[gander111]

I did put mama and chick out to free range with the flock. They all seem to be doing fine. Because of the hawks, I will put them away after a short free range, should I put mama and chick in the run with the flock, ( three hens)? What about feeding? Chick needs different food.
Any advice?

 

[galanie]

Just feed everyone the chick food. It's good for them and the "medication" part won't hurt a thing. Good to give them some oyster or crushed egg shell on the side when you do that.

 

[gander111]

Thanks for the advice, I will do just that. Wish me luck with the baby!

 

[LaynaDon95]

You can get non medicated chick food. Chicks raised by their Mama almost never get coccidia (the parasite that medicated chick food protects against). I personally would not eat the eggs of a hen on amprolium, which the the med in medicated chick starter. I raise all my chicks on non medicated and they do fine, especially the ones my hen raised.