Newbie chick delimma

[lilacandbabe]

Ok, I know I did this wrong, please don't yell at me too bad. Soo, long story short, one of my chickens went broody and I let her lay on a nest. It was in the coop with the rest of the chickens, but they played nice, so I left her there. Thought I had a few days left and was going to move her, but alas my count was off and they hatched sometime in the last day. SO - now one of the two hatched so far keeps getting out of the nest and falling to ground level (3 ft drop), definately have to move her now. Should I move her to the ground in the coop, in an old unused coop, or inside the house? I have no supplemental heat for them, how cold can they go on just mamas heat? Sorry for the stupid scenario.

 

[teach1rusl]

They will be fine with mama hen alone - they wouldn't need suppl. heat unless you're taking them away from mama for some reason and brooding them yourself. I would either put her and the chick/eggs in a dog crate within your main coop or fix up a nice area for them in the unused coop.

And welcome to the forum!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
+1 Make sure the mama hen can access the food and water without standing up is what I have found if you have her in a hutch. She will teach them how to eat but not so much if she can't reach it.

 

[lilacandbabe]

I thought I had read not to let them around the other chickens, so fully enclosed? It will be a pain in the butt, lol because the run wasn't made for easy access. I guess I'll just have to set up the other coop and move her tonight. Thanks for the quick responses, I just kinda panicked there for a moment when I went out to check on the cheeping from a lost little fuzzball!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I always let my hen and chicks outside to "free range" for a little while once a day and she does her broody poo then. She sits down on the grass when they get cold and they go under her. That's when I put them all back.

Then I progress in a few days to putting a little fence around the hutch so mama can take her babies outside for walks but the other chickens can't get the chicks.

Just what I do.

 

[lilacandbabe]

Well, I got the hen and nest moved successfully yesterday. However checking today showed that she had completely abandoned the rest of the nest, including one that had started to peck out. They were all ice cold, apparently she is just warming the two chicks with her on the ground. I was able to revive and save the one other, but she will not accept it now.

So my first hatched eggs are with mixed results. The abandoned little peeper is currently sitting on my stove being warmed by the pilot light. I will have to check the rest of the forum, I'm not quite sure how I'm going to successfully brood him since I live off grid and cannot run a heat lamp. Thank y'all again for your help, I just wanted to give an update

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I have used hot water bottles (milk jugs) before in the winter with chicks in a shed when the light wasn't enough due to the cold. Just make sure they won't burn him. They cuddle up to the milk jug. You will need a huddle box for him so the heat doesn't go away (with ventilation obviously).

I would fashion a cardboard cave and keep the hot water jugs coming round the clock. I would give him a stuffed animal to get underneath (a wide one) next to the milk jug with a little hidey spot where he won't suffocate.

Frankly, if you are going to brood just one, I'd swipe all of the chicks from the mama (because the lone chick will be lonely) OR try to sneak the chick in the nighttime under the mama (a better solution if you ask me). You have to be sneaky though because one broody I had refused to take a couple of chicks I had bought from the feed store and attacked them. I should have tried it at night.

You need to do this immediately or the chick won't accept her as the mama.

I would only remove the other chicks from the mama if you are certain that you can maintain the temperature round the clock, obviously. I am mentioning a hot water bottle because I have seen folks on BYC brood chicks with heating pads.

 

[lilacandbabe]

I tried a couple different ways of giving him back to her today, and she ended up pecking at him. Didn't think about doing it at night. I'm not sure how to do it since she just has them on the ground. I could give it a shot, but I'm a bit afraid she'll hurt him.

What is the reasoning behind not brooding just one?

 

[lilacandbabe]

Oops, I read back over that, and you had answered my question. I can sneak out there and try, but I worry about the early hours in the morning. I have him on top of my stove in a nest box. The pilot light seems to be working well as a heater, but obviously this will not work for long. The water bottle thing may work, but how long will they stay warm?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Because of extreme loneliness. They get incredibly lonely as they are flock animals. It is recommended that if you do decide to brood him alone to put a mirror in there with him/her, a stuffed animal or feather duster, and spend lots of time with the chick.

I am sure it will all work out for you- just my thoughts!