My mother hen has abandoned her chick at only a little over two weeks old. What can I do?

[faithsbrood]

Up until the last few days my hen has been acting a little more aloof with her chick as it’s growing more independent, but today she set the mark by leaving the nursery coop and roosting with all the adult chickens, (which the chick cannot get to because it is up a ladder) and left it by itself in the nursery coop all by itself. I find this so upsetting as she was being a great mum up until now.
I have two other broody hens, one of which I know would make a great mum, am I able to place the chick underneath her so she can be its mother instead?
I need help, thanks!

 

[Debbie292d]

I dealt with this three times and never again. So I now have four incubators.

All you can do is try and see if the broody will take it. I'd try during the day and see how she acts. So many recommend doing that at night, and I see the point of it but they wake up before we do, so I was always afraid she'd wake up, see the chick(s) and freak out on them.

 

[azygous]

Grafting an older chick onto a broody with younger chicks may not work. But putting the chick onto the roost when evening comes is something you can try. At two weeks, chicks have the ability to use their wings to achieve lift. A broody that wishes to rejoin the flock may still care for her chick if the chick can follow her onto the perch. It wouldn't take but a night or two for the chick and hen to adopt a new behavior as long as both feel it works for them.

 

[faithsbrood]

Grafting an older chick onto a broody with younger chicks may not work. But putting the chick onto the roost when evening comes is something you can try. At two weeks, chicks have the ability to use their wings to achieve lift. A broody that wishes to rejoin the flock may still care for her chick if the chick can follow her onto the perch. It wouldn't take but a night or two for the chick and hen to adopt a new behavior as long as both feel it works for them.

I can definitely try that. I put mum in the coop with the chick and she sat on it just fine, and also gestured for it to eat as well. The two of them have been escaping and spending time with the main flock anyways so it could be exaclty what you said. Thank you!