Mama silkie accepted 2, 3rd died of cold during the night.

[bearz]

I've had these chicks in my house for 3 weeks now. FIL gave them to me. They were getting too big for my warmer so I had to do something. I have a real maternal silkie so last night just at dusk when everyone is getting ready to roost I took the advice of some here and put her in a cage and slipped the little ones in with her. I had the cage fixed so that they couldn't leave and everyone was roosting by the time I left. I decided it was sink or swim for these little guys because I just didn't have any other options. DH won't put a heat lamp in the coop. Period.

This morning I came out and 2 of them were fine. Snuggled up to their new mommy. 3rd one was in a corner, dead. No markings at all so I'm sure it died of exposure.

I feel terrible. Maybe if I had sat out there for awhile longer and insisted that it stay in the nesting box with the mama it would have lived. This little one wasn't too smart from the start and I guess it was just survival of the fittest but still.

FIL tried to get me to take more babies last night. I told him no way...leave them under the hen for warmth. I can't stand to have any more die. I had to have DH cull one last week and I cried about that too.

UGH...this is awfully hard.

 

[juliechick]

Sorry about the chick and the one you had to cull.

I had to have my DH cull one last week. I just couldn't do it myself, but she was suffering, so it had to be done.

I'm glad your Silkie decided to take the other two chicks.

 

[ginasmarans]

So sorry for you and the chick. You did the best you could.

 

[debilorrah]

The question that came to my mind is WHY WON'T HE PUT A HEAT LAMP OUT THERE???? I would be so angry with my beloved if that was the result of his stubborn head.

I am sorry your little guy went to chicken heaven.

 

[bearz]

Ya gotta understand my hubby. He's worried that the heat lamp will set the coop on fire. I've been married to the guy for 14 years and I've given up reasoning with him. I just accept that his parents put some wierd ideas in his head and its not gonna help to argue about it.

 

[swtangel321]

Ive heard not to stick anything older than 3 days under a mama hen !!!!! Im surprised that anyone on here told you to put 3 week old chicks under a hen outside !!!! Did the hen have her own chicks ? Or did you just decided to give her these ??? I have put a week old under a silkie hen that all ready had her own babies (they were a few days older)

Sorry that it worked out like that, its always hard to have a chick die, my dog has gotten in to the run 2 times and got a few babies (12 weeks) I hate it !!! Makes me so mad !!!! Then I think about it for like 2 weeks... So I know how you feel.