Should I take the baby away sooner or later?

[Animal Fanatic]

Hello, I am new to this forum, but have come here about my questions for quite some time. I have a broody who was setting on 3 eggs. Only one hatched. I have heard that once the mom weens the baby, it will be harder on it because she will be a young loner. I bought 2 chicks from a hatchery in hopes that mama would adopt them. That was a big fat NO!! I was wondering if I should take her baby and put it with the store bought ones now, so they can bond or wait until mom weens her and then introduce her to the other 2 babies. BTW baby is 4 days old and store babies are 6 days old. Please help!!!

 

[bantamsrmyfav]

how long were the new ones with the hen? What happened in that time? I had a hen start to peck chicks but I watched them and after about an hour she accepted them. With another hen I put them under her at night and things were fine in the morning. These are bantam cochins though, I am not sure about other breeds. If it still doesn't work I would leave the first baby with the mom and raise the other 2 separate. I have had several hens with just one chick and they do fine as adults. In fact, at some point I would think one would be beneficial considering how often hens go broody so you don't get overrun with chicken math. It is good for hens to go broody and raise chicks, it increases their life span having a break from laying eggs and if she sat on the eggs for 3 weeks I thinks she deserves to raise her chick..just my 2 cents.

 

[Animal Fanatic]

how long were the new ones with the hen? What happened in that time? I had a hen start to peck chicks but I watched them and after about an hour she accepted them. With another hen I put them under her at night and things were fine in the morning. These are bantam cochins though, I am not sure about other breeds. If it still doesn't work I would leave the first baby with the mom and raise the other 2 separate. I have had several hens with just one chick and they do fine as adults. In fact, at some point I would think one would be beneficial considering how often hens go broody so you don't get overrun with chicken math. It is good for hens to go broody and raise chicks, it increases their life span having a break from laying eggs and if she sat on the eggs for 3 weeks I thinks she deserves to raise her chick..just my 2 cents.

I tried to stick them in at dusk and the babies ran under her and she squealed and pecked them out from under her. I have tried letting them in the run with her and baby during the day and she squealed and tried to charge them. I keep trying different scenarios all with the same results. I would love to let her raise this baby, but I would have to do 2 introductions later, one with the other 2 babies when it gets weened and then again with the other 2 and the flock. I have read that if there is only one youngster in the flock, it might get picked on once mama calls it quits. There are pros and cons to both options I guess. Also, I don’t have a roo, so my hens may go broody often, but they won’t always get to hatch babes. I got the eggs from my sister

 

[Chickassan]

When mom calls it quits it will get picked on but so will your store bought ones that's just what chickens do.
I will say it will be extremely lonely and frightening for the one broody raised one as mom will likely join the mob and chicks tend to only interact with their broodmates until they hit the point of lay.

 

[Animal Fanatic]

When mom calls it quits it will get picked on but so will your store bought ones that's just what chickens do.
I will say it will be extremely lonely and frightening for the one broody raised one as mom will likely join the mob and chicks tend to only interact with their broodmates until they hit the point of lay.

I know they will get picked on, which is why I didn’t want a single chick. The loneliness part is what I am worried about. So do you think I should put all the babies together now?

 

[Chickassan]

I would if they were mine.
Hard choice, but I totally would.

I know they will get picked on, which is why I didn’t want a single chick. The loneliness part is what I am worried about. So do you think I should put all the babies together now?

 

[bantamsrmyfav]

yeah maybe you'll need to put them all together. I don't have experience with standard hens and babies so it could be a different scenario. With my bantam hens I buy autosexed chicks to place under them because they stay broody for too long and lose weight if I don't. There are methods to break the broodiness but I'd have to buy a cage or maybe put her in an ice bath (I have one that has been sitting a couple weeks). Anyways good luck

 

[EmilyThrom]

I know they will get picked on, which is why I didn’t want a single chick. The loneliness part is what I am worried about. So do you think I should put all the babies together now?

I am in a similar situation. How did this turn out?

 

[Animal Fanatic]

I am in a similar situation. How did this turn out?

I ended up keeping baby with mom. I have to keep them separated from the rest of the flock because she is not an aggressive mother and the other ladies almost trampled the poor baby to get to the chick food. I have the 2 store bought babies in a guinea pig cage inside the coop and I let all 3 babies have play dates. They get along well and I’m hoping they still get along when mom calls it quits. I tried to take the baby from mom and that lasted a day because mom was going crazy around bed time looking for baby. It was very sad and I couldn’t do it!! This is a crazy process, but it is working for me. Hopefully you have success in whatever you choose to do!!!

 

[Pollito Pelon]

Long story short I had 4 incubated chicks that were about 2 weeks young I tried to introduce them to a broody hen with 6 chicks. The mom did not accept them but she also was not aggressive towards them I ended up raising them separately when mom left them at about a month I began introducing them together the big sister was very protective of her brothers and would peck the other incubated chicks but after a while they hangout together and slept together and now they chill and hangout like actual brothers you can leave the chick with his mom and raise the other two. And once it's old enough integrate them all together