My lonely little chicky.... Please help!!!!

[shuizar209]

Ok so here is the story. My hen (Alana- RIR) went broody and was sitting on air. As El pollo loco as I am, I went and bought 12 fertile RIR eggs from a local egg store for her to sit on. All went well and we had 7 adorable little chicks on the 22 and 23 day. Then on the 24th day alana abandoned the rest of the eggs to take care of her chicks. As my husband was throwing away the eggs one was chirping, the egg was pipped. I read different articles about helping the chick hatch and not helping a chick hatch. I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian so the thought of letting it die if it could not get out horrified me. I helped him hatch. I even took off the membrane. after a couple of hours he fluffed out and was trying to get hus feet underneath him. After he fluffed I tried putting him out with alana and the chicks she pecked at him likke crazy. I took this as she was trying to kill him and I rescued him again. He is afraid of alana. I tried again and he ran back to me. I put him in his box and he chirps really really loud until I pick him up then he is quiet and falls asleep. My question is this chick is healthy and active but tends to fall asleep in the middle of what he is doing is he ok is this normal? and is there any way I can introduce him to the rest without him being in danger? Is alana pecking him her way of nurturing? Please help.....

 

[becky3086]

I believe if you slip him under her when she is covering them at night, she will likely accept him.
Do you have any source of heat for him in his box? If not, he may be cold and when you pick him up, he warms up again and falls asleep.

 

[Imp]

First off Welcome to BYC.

I'm no expert in chicks, but I think you could try putting the chick under the hen at night, in the dark. Keep a close eye on things. She may kill it. If she won't accept it at all try to get another chick as a companion, or as a last resort sometimes people have used a stuffed animal as a companion.
As far as the falling asleep. I think it's normal, if the chick is acting healthy. People post pictures of the funny places and positions that their chicks have fallen asleep in.

Good luck,
Imp

 

[shuizar209]

I have a light in there he also sleeps in his box. He is the only chick that has coloring to him do you think alana will notice? Have you met my brody hen? she is so mean and fluffs up three times her size and squaks at you!!!! she is pretty intimidating!!!! will she peck me at night??? she has already pecked me and let me tell you not lovin it...lol do you think it was ok that I helped him hatch?????

 

[shuizar209]

We named him almost because we almost threw him away..lol He I took him out into the yard today he was standing on the bricks and fell asleep his head was hanging over the side of the bricks it was the funniest thing...

 

[Imp]

Quote:
I don't think hens notice the colors as much. They seem to hatch and raise just about anything. I have never had a hen go broody so experience there. I've also never been pecked at hard. Lol! Just lucky I guess. If its dark she should be still, but with a light on who knows, mine are active at night with the light. You could just raise your little one by yourself, and integrate them back together later when the chick is better able to cope with "Bad Mama". And It was great that you helped it hatch. The reason people say to not help is mostly it turns out badly for the chick. Glad that didn't happen to you.

Imp

 

[socks]

Hi, I'm a newbie but one of those ones who has posted pics of their chicks falling asleep on their beaks etc. and yes, they do it at the drop of the hat.

As others have suggested I've read that your best bet is to sneak the chick under her when she is asleep. There is a great write up somewhere (I'll look for it in my posts) about broody hens and it sounds like there is a lot of sneaking around at night putting fake eggs in, replacing them with real eggs, checking the eggs for signs of rotten eggs (you find out why a rotten egg can spoil the whole bunch) and lastly getting the hen to adopt a chick.

This also sounds like good advice:

If she won't accept it at all try to get another chick as a companion, or as a last resort sometimes people have used a stuffed animal as a companion.

On the bright side this chick is going to be awfully tame with all that time you are spending together.

 

[socks]

Found the link about broody hens, it was ddawn who gave it to me:
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

it was a very interesting read and I hope will be helpful with the part about introducing chicks...

 

[embkm]

I would try to slip the chick under the hen at night when she is settling down for the night. If she accepts it then, it should be fine when they all wake up in the morning.

If she doesn't accept it, take a few (2 or 3) of the other 7 and raise them together in a brooder. That way Momma still has some chicks and Almost isn't alone anymore.