Urgent advice needed re broody hen and single chick

[pettpaintings]

Hi all well my little broody hen hatched a single chick two days ago (day 20) and nothing since so today I candled the remaining eggs and found one dead chick and 4 rancid ones so removed them all however mum is still sitting tight and has yet to take the little chick to food or water~ how long will she stay put and how much longer can the chick go without nourishment ?
I have set up a brooder indoors just in case I have to intervene but I would really like to see mum looking after the baby herself

Any ideas???

Thanks

 

[saranbensmom]

I would like to ask if she's free range or penned? It's possible she's taking care of him, but it isn't "obvious". Having one chick, it wouldn't take much for her to provide for him. I would put some chick starter and a chick waterer close by - this way, when it's warm enough, the chick can get to it without mom having to roam anywhere.

 

[pettpaintings]

Hi Thank you ~she normally free ranges in my garden and set in one of the coop nestboxes, I have now penned her way from my other hens with her chick and they have chick crumb and water close by but she is happy feeding herself and ignoring him while he sqwaks and flouders around on his own she also seems quite brutal with him and makes no attempt to help him, she seems preoccupied with searching underneath herself for the "lost eggs"

 

[Chirpy]

Sometimes hens just aren't good mommas. You may actually have to remove the chick and raise it in a brooder. That would be the last option though, at least to me, since chicks are social and need the company of other chick and I think it's really cool to have hens raise their babies.

At this point, as long as she isn't physically attacking the chick I'd leave them together with grower feed and water available right there for the chick. If she were to start to attack the chick, then you'd want to remove it.

Normally, a hen will stop sitting on eggs after 2 or 3 days (at most) once a chick has hatched.

 

[pettpaintings]

Hi Thankyou

she seems to have settled in her new accomodation and the chick has tucked under her and is quiet for now( I assume thats good) I plan to keep them together in the hope that momma will move on and forget those eggs and nurture her lonely little chick like a proper broody hen

 

[Chirpy]

Yup, it sounds like things are going well so just let them be. I'm guessing momma will give up on those eggs pretty soon and start mothering her little chick.

My broody only had one chick hatch, I left the other eggs under her for two more days and then removed them. They were all bad. She immediately became momma to her sole chick and was wonderful. I loved watching her teach him to find things to eat and listen to her clucking to him.

 

[pettpaintings]

Oww I hope you are right she's been broody so many times we decided to give her some hatching eggs this time expectingher to be a really good proud momma, maybe she's just dissapointed to have only one baby and not a full brood?

 

[saranbensmom]

I agree - If the you've given the chick starter feed and water and the hen is letting him/her keep warm, I think your problem is solved and I would leave them be. Good luck and God bless!

 

[pettpaintings]

Hi all, well things are not looking good today the liitle chick just stays under her and hasn't taken any food or drink since hatching and looks very immature compared to pictures of 2-3 day olds I've seen on here I suspect he will simply waste away today

very sad for my poor hen who is at last trying to help the little fella but to no avail.
I think maybe the 4 bad eggs in the clutch maybe gave off bad gasses and caused the two viable eggs to end up like this what do you all think?

 

[vickig]

If you dunk mama in cold water this will cool her down and she will get back to normal temps for not wanting to sit.