We hatched a chick today!

[chicks man!]

We came home today and found a chick. Yeah! It is a Barred Rock and RIR mix.

We are not prepared for a chick. Plus there are 3 more eggs that Broomie is sitting on.

I am concerned about our other chickens (2 barred rock and a RIR Rooster) interacting with the chick. We have separated the Mom and chick from the others. Do I have to worry about the other chickens hurting the baby chick? Any advise is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[featheredroots]

Congratulations on the new chick!

I've heard that other chickens can be down right nasty to new hatchlings,sometimes even killing them. I don't know if this is the norm or not, but I'd definitely keep mom and baby separate until someone with experience can give you a better answer. If you don't get a reply from here(which I'm sure you will) you might try checking with your local feed store. I've called them a few times, and even though I didn't get my chicks there, they were always helpful.

Best of luck!

 

[gryeyes]

Usually, Momma Hen keeps the other flock members away from her chicks quite fiercely. Some folks sequester their broody hens and chicks. I have not. The only time this didn't work for me was when a first time momma hen, a bantam, had 9 chicks and she wasn't able to keep track of them all or keep all safe from being trampled. Most of my flock is LF and there are 9 ducks with BIG flappy feet plus a pair of geese with even bigger feet all using the same huge coop. But she lost about one a day for five days..... until there were only four she could protect.

I do have a Chicken Kindergarten pen inside the coop now, for putting motherless (incubated and hatched or feedstore chicks) with their EcoGlow brooder so they can grow up safely. My next broody hen will be moved in there to keep her and her family safe. This is more for the "don't get stepped on" issue than any nastiness foisted on them by other hens. My roosters protect chicks quite often!

 

[chicks man!]

Thank you! Everything has worked out just fine.