OH NO MISSING CHICK!!!

[cthrash1]

My broody so far hatched out 4 chicks as of this morning... I always look in the window as everyone is heading out the hatch and I saw Belle outside her nest looking in very upset. I go in and find her 4th to hatch(probably yesterday) was dead and stuck to her leg. I pulled it off and tossed it then looked in the nest and didn't see the Millie baby that hatched earlier in the week(2nd to hatch). I took the top off the nest with a still upset broody fussing the whole time and find it actually is not there.

I even dug down into the shavings in case it got buried under...Nope. Just disappeared.
DS didn't lock the hatch all the way last night it was getting dark at the time so wonder if something got it...It was slightly ajar when I let them all out earlier.
Now I'm thinking about bringing the rest of the eggs in and putting them in the hatcher and just letting her raise the other two chicks so they aren't all completely taken away. Should I you all think? Heck maybe I should take chicks and eggs both...

 

[Guinea Goonie]

When we get broody hens, we let them hatch out the eggs (this of course is in better times when I was not in sooooo much trouble) and then let them dry out. We would then very carefully an gently take the chick from the mom with her present. We held it and talked to her. The next day she was still sitting and very happy. We have about 5 broody bantam hens. They will sit on anyones eggs, so we have to take the eggs every night. Unless they are bantam or blacktail (small eggs) we take them now. The chicks come to the house. We have 6 chicks in the new born brooder which is a cardboard box that we throw away with each clutch. We have a reptile ceramic heat source so they will sleep as much as nature needs them to and a homemade feeder. If we do not take the chicks they end up dead either from neglect or the other chickens pecking them to death.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
If it is not too late make sure what you threw away was the dead bird and not more than one bird. This happens sometimes.

Also, check your floors often. Sometimes baby birds are tossed out of the nest by accident because they are still sticky. Many a time I found chicks on the floor only because momma was moving around.

Good Luck.