Single Hatched Chick...Put with Momma & Siblings?

[Dale River]

We had a single chick hatch today after momma hen got off her nest 3 days ago with the 5 chicks she hatched. We took the remaining eggs and put them in the preheated incubator. I thought I’d give it through today to make sure nothing else was viable. One chick hatched today, but so far nothing from the other eggs. “Lucky” isn’t fully fluffed out yet, so I’ve left him in the incubator where he’s stumbling around.

I’m wondering if I should put him under his momma tomorrow night. My concerns are him being able to keep up with the week old chicks. However, he’s by himself, so I’m also concerned about putting him in the brooder for a day or two til he’s more steady on his feet before putting him with momma and siblings. The momma and chicks have their own fenced, netted, protected space outside as well as in the coop.

Any guidance on this one?

 

[AOrchard]

Because she knows how nany she has. Its like having a set of kids and suddenly uou have an extra. Yoi know its not yours but unlike humans, chixkens wont care for pffspring they dont consider theirs. Bloodlines mean nothing to them.

Many hens will absolutely take an extra, or two or three or four! I adopted four chicks to a hen that had six she hatched. Chicknapping works great, steal one of hers, hold on to it until it's chirping madly, and she's upset, then return hers plus a new one. She'll be delighted that the distressed cheeping has stopped, and likely hardly even notice her clutch grew. I have had better luck with introducing chicks that are similarly colored to her existing chicks, this particular broody that I gave four adoptees to refused a fifth that was chipmunk striped, but accepted all four blues (her chicks were shades of black white and gray). She did seem to sense that something was up, but she would survey the chicks, who were all happily eating in front of her, and she accepted the suddenly doubled group. Chickens don't count, though they definitely do form an idea of who is theirs which strengthens over time. And even if they do count, at least some do appear to accept adoptees.

 

[AOrchard]

How attentive is the mother to the current chicks? If she comes running at the slightest chick distress she may handle a day old well even if her older ones are more mobile. I've had broodies that I definitely would not trust and others I would consider doing this for. I have introduced 2 day old feed store chicks to an attentive hen with 1 week olds and that went fine.

Restricting her space for a few days would also help prevent baby from being left behind while it's most fragile.

I would be inclined to keep it in the brooder until it gets its feet under it. One day might be enough. If you think be needs another day you could even borrow one of her chicks and put it with the little guy as a buddy.

Also, in the future, if you think there's still a viable egg and mom is getting antsy, I have had luck by providing food and water to the babies in the nest box, to get Mom to stay for another day or two on the rest of the eggs. If she senses life in the eggs and isn't getting distressed peeps from the chicks that have hatched, she might be willing to give it a little longer.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Many hens will absolutely take an extra, or two or three or four! I adopted four chicks to a hen that had six she hatched. Chicknapping works great, steal one of hers, hold on to it until it's chirping madly, and she's upset, then return hers plus a new one. She'll be delighted that the distressed cheeping has stopped, and likely hardly even notice her clutch grew. I have had better luck with introducing chicks that are similarly colored to her existing chicks, this particular broody that I gave four adoptees to refused a fifth that was chipmunk striped, but accepted all four blues (her chicks were shades of black white and gray). She did seem to sense that something was up, but she would survey the chicks, who were all happily eating in front of her, and she accepted the suddenly doubled group. Chickens don't count, though they definitely do form an idea of who is theirs which strengthens over time. And even if they do count, at least some do appear to accept adoptees.

But timing matters. That's what I'm trying to say. I foster chicks all the time on hens but they're all given before the first is older than 2 days. Once she's off the nest and moving with them it's too late most of the time

 

[AOrchard]

Yes, I would be pretty optimistic. Keep a close eye on her and the baby of course, but that's a great sign she'd be willing!

 

[AOrchard]

But timing matters. That's what I'm trying to say. I foster chicks all the time on hens but they're all given before the first is older than 2 days. Once she's off the nest and moving with them it's too late most of the time

Agreed it definitely does matter, I guess I would extend that period to the first week though? Granted, my broodies have a smaller run and don't free range, so they aren't going very far to start with.

 

[Trisseh]

I’ve given 2 week old chicks to a broody that sat on nothing for a week. Some birds will take literally any chick you give them, others are more discerning and you may need to trick them. I don’t see why you can’t try the suggestions of adding it once it’s a little stronger, especially if she’s one of those birds that wants all the babies. Personally I would probably wait until this one is a week old and better able to keep up, but that totally depends on your broody. Same as any other time when adding new birds, you do have to watch and make sure things are going ok before leaving them to their own devices.

Mine will steal eggs from others and takes over any chicks I introduce, so she’s easy, but not all of them are like that.

 

[Dale River]

So I gave the chick that hatched from the incubator to the momma hen after he ran around a brooder for a day. I gave him to her at night, and she accepted him immediately and has been caring & attentive. Not only did she accept that chick, but a second late chick hatched from the incubator a few days later. We did the same with the second chick...kept it in the incubator for about 24 hours, then put it in a brooder for about a day, then put it under the momma hen at night. She took the second late hatching chick with no problems also. She's done a great job caring for the 2 younger late hatchers along with the other chicks she hatched & the store bought chicks I put under her earlier. Just thought I'd update this for anyone else in a similar situation. I think the broody hen is a good little momma.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

No. They're too different in age now. She will not accept the new baby and he'd never be able to leep up with that lost time

 

[Dale River]

No. They're too different in age now. She will not accept the new baby and he'd never be able to leep up with that lost time

She accepted some store bought chicks we got to go with the hatched chicks. Why wouldn’t she accept this one?