Newly hatched abandoned chicks advice needed.

[Little Tala Bug]

Thanks for your replies. Chicks seem to be doing well. They're in a dog crate and there's a larger crate outside so they can have time on the grass. But they keep trying to escape!
How long should they sleep at night and should I cover the crate with a blanket? There's conflicting info online. One article said they need 24hours of light.
It's 12am and just before I came to bed one chick woke up, stood at the front of the crate and cheeped loudly and insistently. Think it wanted to come out but I need some sleep

I recently had to do a similar chick rescue operation and my hen accepted the chicks I saved after 3 days. I waited until the other hatchlings were playing in the run and just popped the rejects in amongst them. She didn't seem to notice at all. I would definitely try to unite them.

 

[Nashelle]

At the moment mother and six chicks are segragated from the rest of the flock. There were seven chicks but a rat (I presume) chewed a hole in the netting, one of the chicks got out and I can only imagine was pecked by the other hens (sadly it didn't survive). I tried to take the remaining chicks away but mother hen went ballistic. At one point she got into the main enclosure and the other hens began attacking her - I did not know chickens could be so vicious! I've now errected a wooden partition. I'm doing all I can to keep them all safe until their owner comes home - hopefully this weekend. We'll then re-adjust the whole coop and run.

There's been a big fuss again at bed time and husband has just informed me that the babies are not under the heat pad but asleep in the corner where they have been trying to escape. It's very warm here at the moment so I'm wondering if I should leave them to sleep where they are.

 

[White Valley Acres]

Hi any advice would be welcome. My broody hen hatched 7 chicks and left the rest of the eggs in the best (I learnt too late about perils staggered hatching). I put the abandoned eggs in the greenhouse, came back a few hours later and two chicks were hatching.
The chicks are now under a brooding heat plate in a dog crate. I've put a hot water bottle half under there too but I'm wondering if this okay to do. I feel as if I should put a small teddy bear type thing in there too.

I would suggest putting them in under the hen at night with the other chicks. She should be able to take them back under her wing.

 

[Nashelle]

Chicks are three weeks old tomorrow and continue to do well. They have quite a few feathers now and are really funny when I let them out in the living room. I couldn't risk putting them with the mother hen and other chicks so am keeping them until they're bigger and more able to look after themselves. As always there's conflicting information online and I'm wondering at what age should I transition them to outside living.

 

[LuciferRoo]

One of my hens went broody and hatch some chicks. They were hatched over multiple days. Oldest two are now 19 days old and youngest two are 10 days old.
That is, until today. This morning I discovered another chick. Hatched overnight. Karen (hen's name) left it behind and went free ranging in the backyard with her 8 little one.
The new chick was very cold. I took it home and put it in a towel lined laundry basket with a one of those brooder heaters above it. One that looks like a computer monitor.
I really want to get this one little chick back in hen's care.
How long do I keep it at home?

 

[NatJ]

One of my hens went broody and hatch some chicks. They were hatched over multiple days. Oldest two are now 19 days old and youngest two are 10 days old.
That is, until today. This morning I discovered another chick. Hatched overnight. Karen (hen's name) left it behind and went free ranging in the backyard with her 8 little one.
The new chick was very cold. I took it home and put it in a towel lined laundry basket with a one of those brooder heaters above it. One that looks like a computer monitor.
I really want to get this one little chick back in hen's care.
How long do I keep it at home?

It usually works best to start a new thread, rather than asking your question in an existing thread.

You can try putting the chick back with the hen once it can run around well (maybe in a few days.) If it cannot keep up with the other chicks, it will get left behind and chilled again.

But considering how much younger it is, that chick might not do well if you try to put it back. Chicks that far apart in age just have different needs. The youngest one needs lots of time snuggling under the hen to get warm and take naps. The older chicks are ready to run around and do things for much longer stretches of time. The hen may choose to stay with the older, active chicks instead of taking proper care of the youngest one.

I do not know whether the chick will actually have trouble, or whether the hen will manage to meet the needs of all the chicks of different ages. The only way to know for sure is to try giving the chick back to her (once it is warm and mobile) and watch how it goes.

 

[LuciferRoo]

It usually works best to start a new thread, rather than asking your question in an existing thread.

You can try putting the chick back with the hen once it can run around well (maybe in a few days.) If it cannot keep up with the other chicks, it will get left behind and chilled again.

But considering how much younger it is, that chick might not do well if you try to put it back. Chicks that far apart in age just have different needs. The youngest one needs lots of time snuggling under the hen to get warm and take naps. The older chicks are ready to run around and do things for much longer stretches of time. The hen may choose to stay with the older, active chicks instead of taking proper care of the youngest one.

I do not know whether the chick will actually have trouble, or whether the hen will manage to meet the needs of all the chicks of different ages. The only way to know for sure is to try giving the chick back to her (once it is warm and mobile) and watch how it goes.

Thanks for the reply.

I did not start a new thread because most websites frown upon starting new threads on the same topic.

I will give it a shot and try putting the chick under the hen in a few days. Crossing my fingers and hoping it goes well.

 

[NatJ]

Thanks for the reply.

I did not start a new thread because most websites frown upon starting new threads on the same topic.

I will give it a shot and try putting the chick under the hen in a few days. Crossing my fingers and hoping it goes well.

This website is different-- people usually are encouraged to start a new thread.

I think the reason is to avoid confusion, because so many questions that look the same actually have different answers (examples: "what breed is this chick?" or "what is wrong with my chicken?")

Hopefully things will go well with your chick