Remove single chick from nestbox?

[Baldwin]

Hi, we have a single chick hatched under three broody hens sharing a nesting box. Any other hatches won't be for maybe a few weeks. (We were evacuated and came home to eggs.) The nestbox is 4ish' off the ground. The chick is going on two days old and is healthy and friendly.

I'm concerned that one of the hens will not care for it in the run. How will it get food and water? We've raised small hatches before, 10 or so, but not a single one. One family member says let nature take its course, but I can't allow this.

We also have 4 feed store chicks under a lamp. They are approximately 2 weeks old.

Questions:
1) Should I remove the single chick? (I'm checking every few hours.)

2) can I put it with the older chicks if I supervise at first?

Thanks for your help.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Put that baby in with the feed store chicks and keep a close eye. I suggest putting a wire divider in the brooder for a few days so they can see but not peck the new kid.

The nest is way to high off the ground and with 3 moms it could end very badly.

 

[Baldwin]

Put that baby in with the feed store chicks and keep a close eye. I suggest putting a wire divider in the brooder for a few days so they can see but not peck the new kid.

The nest is way to high off the ground and with 3 moms it could end very badly.

Yeah, my thought too about it ending badly. Thanks for your reply. I'll go out to the coop now.

 

[Baldwin]

Put that baby in with the feed store chicks and keep a close eye. I suggest putting a wire divider in the brooder for a few days so they can see but not peck the new kid.

The nest is way to high off the ground and with 3 moms it could end very badly.

So far so good. They're warming their wings under the lamp. I've got a chair in the garage scrolling through the phone. They're largely ignoring the newbie.....

 

[Alaskan]

I had 2 broodies hatch a single early this summer, nest was 2 feet off the ground.

After waiting a day to see if any more would hatch (and candling eggs, nope, no more chicks), we removed all bad eggs and put the single chick on the ground with both moms, a chick feeder, a chick waterer, and put lots of rocks in the adult water pan (so it was safe for the chick).

Worked great.

The 2 roosters, and all hens, were very good with the chick, and the moms stayed on the ground to keep the chick warm at night.

That flock hatches chicks every summer, and almost always co-parent since everyone wants to brood in the "best" nestbox.

 

[Sonya9]

. One family member says let nature take its course, but I can't allow this.

In a "natural" environment hens lay eggs at a private hidden nest site and begin incubation on the same day so they all hatch at the same time. Problems like this arise because it is NOT in anyway natural for multiple hens to use the same nests/boxes.

 

[sourland]

I'd move the chick with one of the hens to an area away from the two setting hens.

 

[Baldwin]

They're all well. Last night, the baby wanted a mom to snuggle with, and she () wedged herself under one of the juvie's necks. This looked very silly with her head poking out one side of the neck and her butt out the other Today everyone is more integrated. How the babies copy the older birds in general always fascinates me. It's like once the baby sees it, it triggers an instinct. I have no idea ofc....

Thanks everyone for your care