New baby chick, all by itself.

[jorge25]

Hello all, I had a broody hen, so I allowed her to sit on three eggs, only one hatched.. The nesting boxes are inside the coop which is about 2ft. of the ground. I'm sure the baby chick will not be able to get up or down that latter. The question is, will momma feed the baby, or do I have to make food available in the coop? The reason I haven't added food in the coop is 1.- to keep it clean. 2.- I think the other chickens will just eat that food. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[LRH97]

This is one of the reasons I keep broodies and their babies separate from the rest of the flock, so they can eat all the chick starter they need without worrying about the other birds eating all of it. You will have to have feed available. Momma will show the baby how to eat; she'll make a very distinct clucking noise when she finds food. It's like her telling the chick, "Hey! This stuff is good to eat!" It's similar to the sounds a roo makes when he finds treats for his hens. But no, she will not actually feed the baby herself and I suggest making a temporary enclosure for them if possible. It's just easier in my opinion.

 

[amaurichick]

I block off my broody hens and their chicks and make sure they have chick starter feed and water (very shallow.) I leave the mother hen in with her babies until they are feathered enough to stay warm without her.

 

[CherriesBrood]

I agree with LRH97. You should keep them temporarily separate from the others, until the chicks get over the 5 day hump, then let them back in with the flock and the momma will do the rest of the work for you until she feels they are big enough were they don't need her, then she will eventually push them away from her, and by that time they should be big enough to do fine without her.