New mum ignoring early chick

[gustishmaggi]

Can anyone advise please - We have a new mum sitting tight on eggs that are probably due in next day or so, one egg has already hatched yesterday and the chick is very small. We are worried as the hen doesn't appear to be guiding the chick to food and water. How long can it survive without? Do we just leave it and let nature take its course or should we intervene in some way?

 

[spikennipper]

Do not worry she will move once all the eggs hatch she is just waiting for the stragglers the chick can survive on it's yolk reserve for a couple of days so it will be fine

 

[pgpoultry]

I agree with the last posting. You will probably find that the chick will find her own way to the food and drink if they are left nearby. If not the chick will be fine for a couple of days,
Sandie

 

[elmo]

We had the opposite problem. One of our hens lead her oldest chick off the nest and left behind one pipping and one just hatched. We resettled her back on the nest with the older chick once, long enough for the newly hatched chick to dry off and the other chick to hatch. Then she left the nest again. The newly hatched chick was too weak to follow, the little guy wasn't even dry yet. So we hand brooded him ourselves all day and slipped him under the hen that night. In the morning, all were fine.