One Baby, No Momma! Please help!

[AmyJane725]

Guys, it has been a bad day. I went out yesterday to do some repairs and I was shocked to find that one of my hens hatched a lone egg. There was a little tiny baby chick following her around outside. Now, it's cold where I live, and the rainy season is starting in earnest (no weather for a baby to be outdoors in), plus there's no food that a baby could reach/eat out there, or water, plus I was worried about the baby getting trampled or hurt by the other chickens, so I decided to bring momma and baby indoors to separate them and let the chick get bigger/hardier before returning them to the flock outside.

Well, I caught baby and momma, but before I could walk into my house, momma wriggled free and BOLTED. She is gone. She ran clean out of my yard, into my neighbor's yard, and probably beyond. There is no sign of her. So now I have a lone chick in my room, crying and crying. I have no other chicks I can put in with it, and I tried bringing in another of my (only broody at inopportune times) hens, but even though the baby was willing to sit under her/hide in her feathers, she's not broody or interested in being a momma, and just pecks the poor little thing. I put her back outside again.

I have the baby in a box with a brooder plate and some wet mash. It just cries and cries.

What can I even do at this point? I'm beside myself. I'm praying that when it gets to be bedtime that the mom will come back, but I'm not holding my breath. She ran so far. I wouldn't be shocked if she's lost and can't find her way back.

How can I keep this poor baby alive at this point? I feel like it's gonna die from stress just being alone. Please help me. T-T

I feel so defeated. I had the mom in my hands and she just slipped through and now the baby is probably going to die. I feel so terrible. I'm a failure as a chicken parent.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Momma will probably come back! Baby will not die unless there was something wrong with it. It will cry because that's what instinct says to do! No worries, you're doing great, just keep his water and food filled. Also, if the mama should protect her baby and keep it warm, so if she does return I would put the chick back with her

 

[AmyJane725]

Momma will probably come back! Baby will not die unless there was something wrong with it. It will cry because that's what instinct says to do! No worries, you're doing great, just keep his water and food filled. Also, if the mama should protect her baby and keep it warm, so if she does return I would put the chick back with her

If momma comes back I'll absolutely bring her in and put her with her baby (like was my original intention), but I'm so scared she won't come back. I've been out there to check four or five times already and no sign of her at all.

All my prior chicks have been mail order, so they never had contact with their mothers, and they had each other. This chick only ever had a momma and no siblings or anything. Is it going to be able to figure out how to exist without her? I've tried getting it to eat, but it shows no interest at all. I was hoping it would go under the brooder plate and rest, but doesn't seem to want to do that either. It's so distressed. My heart is breaking.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Maybe momma will return if she can hear the chick crying. In the meanwhile, try giving the baby a small stuffy to cuddle with.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Can you take the chick in your hands and walk the perimeter of your property, see if the mama comes back. She's probably freaking out too without her baby.

For the baby, put a stuffy and a mirror in the brooder with it. Make a wet mash for the wee babe, do you have chick starter? Can you give her some raw yolk? See if she's interested in that.

 

[AmyJane725]

Can you take the chick in your hands and walk the perimeter of your property, see if the mama comes back. She's probably freaking out too without her baby.

For the baby, put a stuffy and a mirror in the brooder with it. Make a wet mash for the wee babe, do you have chick starter? Can you give her some raw yolk? See if she's interested in that.

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.

 

[Tonyroo]

You can raise a single chick indoors not a big deal. They just become attach to you. Use a mirror in the brooder and spend some time with it. Use your finger to guide the chick to find the food and water. Chicks and chickens learn by repetition. The chick will be fine.

 

[Tonyroo]

Your finger will be your asset by the way as it get bigger the chick will respond to your finger movements and come to you if you need it too.

I also have a lone chick myself that has grown well. He is from a hatch I did a couple of months ago. One survived during the incubation.

 

[AmyJane725]

You can raise a single chick indoors not a big deal. They just become attach to you. Use a mirror in the brooder and spend some time with it. Use your finger to guide the chick to find the food and water. Chicks and chickens learn by repetition. The chick will be fine.

Will it stop crying eventually if left in the brooder? So far the only way it'll stop crying is if I hold it.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would go back out with the chick holding it to keep it warm. Try to get the broody to follow you back in the yard. Then let the broody have the chick. She will probably take it under her and care for it. Don’t keep trying to trap or catch the broody. Put food and water out for her and the chick. I hope this works out for you.