mother hen abandoned chick!!! HELP!!!

[emmalemons]

Well, the headline pretty much says it: These past months, one of my hens decided to be broody. One of four eggs ended up hatching (we didn't candle them) and she began raising her! But just this past week, I have now found 2 eggs left in the place her and the chick were staying. I was told that the mother, even though the chick is still only 3 weeks old and still peeping, might be already beginning to wean off the chick. So with this information, just yesterday, I introduced my Mama and chick back with the flock. The hen thought it was great!..... except that she kinda just left the chick behind and pretty much ignored her. I mean, at first when I let them free range during the afternoon, the hen and chick stuck together, but afterward, the mom went back with the flock leaving the chick with no idea what to do. And now, I've been noticing some of the flock has been pecking this heartbroken chick!! She's only 3 weeks old! what should I do! I've already used a box and cut a flap in which only she can get in and some ventilation slits where her food and water and what I like to think as a safe haven for her but even with that, whenever I've been going out there, I open a little spot in the enclosure and she practically runs straight into my hands!! She's left abandoned. Please help guys is there any suggestions here?!

 

[Elsveta641]

Check locally for another chick of similar age to keep it company and hand raise them in a separate enclosure? I boot my babies to the garage brooder at 4 weeks and they do fine with just eachother for company

 

[WhoDatChick]

Aawww, poor baby ... that is so sad! I let my Silkie raise some adopted baby Cochins and while it was the sweetest thing.. it was the saddest thing when she was “done” with them ... they would run to her for safety from the other hens only to have Mama peck them as well ... so sad that I don’t think I’ll ever do that again.. I know it’s the normal process but I don’t like it!
Since yours is so young I would do as Elsveta said and maybe find her a friend and raise them separate from the big ones until a little older...

 

[21hens-incharge]

Were mom and chick kept where the flock could not see them?

I let my bloodied stay within sight of the flock....very close actually. Once the chicks are a few days old I turn them loose with mom into the flock. It is mom's job to protect and integrate them. That way by the time mom warns them they are "the norm" around the place.

Just advice for the future.

For this one I would find some friends for it and go through the whole are but not touch integration.

 

[Eric R]

If the flock is free range the chick will stay near food and water. The adults should really only be pecking at it to point out that the older birds eat and drink first and that they demand their space. If they are all penned up, the chick will need to be separated until it is an adult. 3 weeks is short but not really. I have a chick that was left at 3 weeks too. He is now 3 months and got pecked by momma just today when she brought out her new batch of chicks. He has been hanging around the coop getting pecked around but less now that he knows the rules. Mine are all free range though. I wouldn't trust different ages in the same pen even with momma to protect him unless the pen is huge.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Were mom and chick kept where the flock could not see them?

I let my bloodied stay within sight of the flock....very close actually. Once the chicks are a few days old I turn them loose with mom into the flock. It is mom's job to protect and integrate them. That way by the time mom warns them they are "the norm" around the place.

Just advice for the future.

For this one I would find some friends for it and go through the whole are but not touch integration.

Just realized autocorrect struck again. It changes BROODY to bloodied.

What the heck autocorrect??

 

[bobbi-j]

Those chickens are teaching the chick her place in the flock. If you pay attention, you’ll see that those are just warning pecks, not an all out attack where they’re trying to hurt it. Chickens know a lot more about chicken society than we do, and are much better at raising chicks to be proper chickens than we are. You’ve made a safe place for the chick, now step back and let it become part of the flock. Unless they’re drawing blood, I’d let them be.

I don’t know that I’d get it a “companion” - that would be one more integration to make, and that one wouldn’t have mama to help it.

In my experience, the earlier you integrate mama and babies the better. She’s more protective when they’re little, and when she’s ready to wean them, they’re already an accepted part of the flock.