One chick has emerged!

[jed1154]

Wife says the chick is standing in front of the cage peeping, but the hen is still on the nest with the rest of the eggs. Not sure what to do with teh chick. Shouldnt she be with the hen? They are all outside, so its nearly 85.

 

[gabrielle1976]

A broody master will undoubtly know more but I would assume that she should be with the hen, can you sit her back on the mom

 

[jed1154]

Ok, well, my wife put the chick back in the box with the hen and she pecked at it, aggressively. Granted, this is a first time momma hen, so maybe she doesn't know what to do since the other 3 eggs haven't hatched yet. So my wife set up a box and heat lamp in the house for the chick and we're going to watch very closely for the other eggs to hatch.

 

[jed1154]

We got two hatched now. I took it and put it in the box with a heat lamp with the first one so they would be together. Probably best to keep it with the mother, but im not really sure what to do here. It didnt like the one, so Im not sure if it would like the other....

not sure removing them from the mother is the thing to do, but thats all i know.

 

[DANNY]

That's a pretty normal response from the hen. she is telling the baby to get under her. When she finshes hatching put all the babies under her not beside her and i am sure everything will be fine.

 

[jed1154]

she wont suffocate them accidentally?

 

[jed1154]

I put them back with the hen. She has 3 chicks under her and should have 4 before too long. I hope this is the right decision. I have never let the hen take care of it. Ive always snatched them from her and raised them myself.

 

[kristenm1975]

Seems like I've been reading a lot of posts lately like this and the mother hen has ended up pecking the chicks to death. If it was me, and I had the ability to set up a brooder, I'd do that instead. Hate to take a chance like that.

 

[jed1154]

I just checked on them, and they seem to be very cozy under her. She's raised up some, so I guess she's taken to them and they're all doing well as of now. I really don't know what I should do as far as taking my chances by leaving them out there with her or bringing them all in and raising them myself. Will it "mess her up" psychologically if I take them from her?