One Baby, No Momma! Please help!

[Fwoof]

I took a recording of the chick crying and walked toward where the momma ran. I played it and she answered! She's was in some brush in front of me and I couldn't grab her. I tried to get her in a net, but she flew further away from where I want her. Like, if my neighbors yard is open, then bush (where she was) then open, then more underbrush and trees, she flew to that further away part. I'm confident she's still in earshot of the other chickens, and I'm hoping she comes back at bedtime and I can try to catch her then when she's outside the run. At present I feel like I'm just making it worse (driving her further from the property).

Yeah, I have chick starter. I made mash out of it, I also made some baby bird food and some super tiny dry chick starter all in there. I dipped the beak and got the baby to drink a little water.

You're doing all the right things! Well done!

 

[AmyJane725]

where are the rest of the flock? Could you put them all securely away and leave the run open, with some food and water? You'd have to wait, watch and hide, but you may be able to shut her in

The rest of them are in the run. This would be a really solid idea, but I don't have anywhere else I could put the rest of them. If the door was open she'd come in eventually I'm sure. I just can't leave it open cause the rest of them would get out (and cats/racoons/etc could get in). And the wetness has caused the coop door/side hatch to swell, so I can't put them in there (without them getting out again). I assume basically everyone has a wooden coop. How do y'all deal with wood swelling in fall/winter weather? I have a nicely designed coop, but half the time I can't even open/close doors and windows because of the wood swelling. And that's with it being painted in "weatherproof" paint. I feel like I need to get a saw and just chop a bunch of the wood off so there's clearance. They get stuck in whatever position they're in. Like, right now the doors are open, and I can't close them. But if I get them closed in the summer, then later I can't open them because they're swollen shut.

 

[AmyJane725]

Will she come back tonight at dusk? If you can catch her and put her in the stool in the coop with baby or in your brooder I think you will be good.

I'm hoping she'll be back later today, but she didn't come back last night. Wasn't back until late morning today. And she flew off again. Not sure how long it'll take her to come back this time. Might be today, might be tomorrow. I just hope I can get her back into the run when/if she comes back next.

The whole thing is so sad/frustrating, cause she's trying to get back into the run/back with her baby, and I'm trying to get her back into the run/with her baby. But she just doesn't understand that I'm trying to help her do what she wants. I wish she could understand that I'm on her side.

 

[BelovedBirds]

The rest of them are in the run. This would be a really solid idea, but I don't have anywhere else I could put the rest of them. If the door was open she'd come in eventually I'm sure. I just can't leave it open cause the rest of them would get out (and cats/racoons/etc could get in). And the wetness has caused the coop door/side hatch to swell, so I can't put them in there (without them getting out again). I assume basically everyone has a wooden coop. How do y'all deal with wood swelling in fall/winter weather? I have a nicely designed coop, but half the time I can't even open/close doors and windows because of the wood swelling. And that's with it being painted in "weatherproof" paint. I feel like I need to get a saw and just chop a bunch of the wood off so there's clearance. They get stuck in whatever position they're in. Like, right now the doors are open, and I can't close them. But if I get them closed in the summer, then later I can't open them because they're swollen shut.

Hmm... What about a dog crate? Do you have anything like that? A cage? You could put food and bedding in and tie a rope to the door. Sounds very extreme, but Im thinking if she goes in, you tug the rope and pull it shut.
Really trying to think of anything at this point, we don't really want her out there with the predators around.
It'd take a lot of patience, and that's if you even have the cage and rope.... And of course she may panic and we don't want her to hurt herself.

 

[AmyJane725]

Hmm... What about a dog crate? Do you have anything like that? A cage? You could put food and bedding in and tie a rope to the door. Sounds very extreme, but Im thinking if she goes in, you tug the rope and pull it shut.
Really trying to think of anything at this point, we don't really want her out there with the predators around.
It'd take a lot of patience, and that's if you even have the cage and rope.... And of course she may panic and we don't want her to hurt herself.

She's very wary of new things, so I don't know that she'd get into a cage. You do have me thinking now though that maybe if I take that black stool and set it outside the run, maybe she'd sit under there for shelter, and then at night time, when it's dark and she should be sleeping, if she's in there I could get her....I could put some food in there too, so she has something to eat other than whatever she finds outside.

 

[WIchickMama]

Any favorite treats that you could put right outside the door and then into the run so that she will walk in?

How many other chickens do you have? Is it possible to shut them up in the coop for awhile and see if she comes back without the distractions? Can you set up the recording of the chick to keep playing?

Yep, throwing it all out there right now!

 

[AmyJane725]

I GOT HER!

I went outside to get the black stool and she was on the right side of the run.
I used the string to pull the door open a little, then I swung really wide on the right and got her to come around to the front of the run. I waited for her to notice that the door was open, and as soon as she wandered inside I shut the door behind her.

She was totally soaked, muddy and freezing, so I brought her in, got her cleaned up and blew her dry. She was very hungry, so I gave her some scrambled egg, feed and water. She's now in the brooder with her baby. Baby is very happy to see her! Hiding in her feathers and eating with her and everything. She hasn't acknowledged the baby super much yet, but she attacks my hand when I come near now, so I think that's a good sign. I think she'll need the rest of the day to recover, but a very happy ending overall.

Now back to my original plumbing problem.

 

[lightm]

I GOT HER!

I went outside to get the black stool and she was on the right side of the run.
I used the string to pull the door open a little, then I swung really wide on the right and got her to come around to the front of the run. I waited for her to notice that the door was open, and as soon as she wandered inside I shut the door behind her.

She was totally soaked, muddy and freezing, so I brought her in, got her cleaned up and blew her dry. She was very hungry, so I gave her some scrambled egg, feed and water. She's now in the brooder with her baby. Baby is very happy to see her! Hiding in her feathers and eating with her and everything. She hasn't acknowledged the baby super much yet, but she attacks my hand when I come near now, so I think that's a good sign. I think she'll need the rest of the day to recover, but a very happy ending overall.

Now back to my original plumbing problem.

SOOOOOO happy to hear this. You did well in this whole process.

 

[AmyJane725]

SOOOOOO happy to hear this. You did well in this whole process.

Thank you! I am so exhausted in every possible way, I can't even begin to tell you. The happy baby peeps make it all worth it though.

And mom has clearly taken on her momma role again. She gives me the death stare every time I peek at them.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I'm hoping she'll be back later today, but she didn't come back last night. Wasn't back until late morning today. And she flew off again. Not sure how long it'll take her to come back this time. Might be today, might be tomorrow. I just hope I can get her back into the run when/if she comes back next.

The whole thing is so sad/frustrating, cause she's trying to get back into the run/back with her baby, and I'm trying to get her back into the run/with her baby. But she just doesn't understand that I'm trying to help her do what she wants. I wish she could understand that I'm on

I GOT HER!

I went outside to get the black stool and she was on the right side of the run.
I used the string to pull the door open a little, then I swung really wide on the right and got her to come around to the front of the run. I waited for her to notice that the door was open, and as soon as she wandered inside I shut the door behind her.

She was totally soaked, muddy and freezing, so I brought her in, got her cleaned up and blew her dry. She was very hungry, so I gave her some scrambled egg, feed and water. She's now in the brooder with her baby. Baby is very happy to see her! Hiding in her feathers and eating with her and everything. She hasn't acknowledged the baby super much yet, but she attacks my hand when I come near now, so I think that's a good sign. I think she'll need the rest of the day to recover, but a very happy ending overall.

Now back to my original plumbing problem.

yay!!! Good job!