I had this happen before, I swiped some eggs from a friend, thinking they were all fresh. One, was not, it hatched the next day! Good thing I didn't leave them out for long, just transported them, and set them right into the incubator. Next day a pullet hatched, and no one else for 21 days! I put her in a shoe box with a hot water bag for warmth, and just carried her around. Talking to her when ever she started that insane "lost bird" peeping. As long as she heard my voice she was alright. Took her on errands with me and everything, in her box. Grocery store? Shoebox sitting in the child's seat of the cart. Cleaning the horse stall? Shoe box sitting on a hay bale nearby. Work? LOL... shoebox sitting under my desk. (a harder sell was the baby squirrel wrapped in a towel and placed in a bucket.... really had to persuade management of the dire situation on that one!!)
By the time another egg hatched, and just one did, she didn't care for it at all. She was a human chicken. I had some ducks then too, tried putting her with them. No go. They grew too fast anyways. When the last chick finally hatched, I had to put wire between them because she wanted to peck him to bits. She didn't know that was her future black bantam husband... since she didn't know she was a black bantam. So I left her with him, and I guess the mutual crying made her realize they were the same species. After a week I could take the divider out and they lived together nicely.
An older chick will do, but just one. Too many larger ones and the newest will get pecked at quite a bit. Just take one older one out of the brooder.
This is why I "talk" to my eggs when they hatch, so that I'm "momma hen" from the start in case only one comes out. Then all I have to do is carry it around with me until another one shows up. Keeping them warm and watered is the most important thing, you can't forget to give water every hour if you're toting it around in a pocket or bra... or shoebox. I've found that if you watch from afar and don't talk to them, or arrive hours after the hatch, they're not as inclined to believe you're the momma.
By the time another egg hatched, and just one did, she didn't care for it at all. She was a human chicken. I had some ducks then too, tried putting her with them. No go. They grew too fast anyways. When the last chick finally hatched, I had to put wire between them because she wanted to peck him to bits. She didn't know that was her future black bantam husband... since she didn't know she was a black bantam. So I left her with him, and I guess the mutual crying made her realize they were the same species. After a week I could take the divider out and they lived together nicely.
An older chick will do, but just one. Too many larger ones and the newest will get pecked at quite a bit. Just take one older one out of the brooder.
This is why I "talk" to my eggs when they hatch, so that I'm "momma hen" from the start in case only one comes out. Then all I have to do is carry it around with me until another one shows up. Keeping them warm and watered is the most important thing, you can't forget to give water every hour if you're toting it around in a pocket or bra... or shoebox. I've found that if you watch from afar and don't talk to them, or arrive hours after the hatch, they're not as inclined to believe you're the momma.
