Broody with single chick, seems to be ignoring it, advice needed!

[Widget1978]

Hi, here's my situation. I have three young hybrids (bought in June as POL, started laying within a week). They live in an Omlet cube in a 5x2metre walk in run with some free-ranging in our garden (we're in Scotland btw). One went broody in July and stayed that way while we were away for a week so seemed pretty determined. As we'd quite like to increase our flock to five anyway I bought 6 fertile cream legbar eggs from eBay and popped them under her. We seperated her in one end of the run (it's covered and sheltered on three sides) in a nest box with a tiny ramp (so the other two could still see her). She sat on the eggs great but unfortunately only one hatched (there was nothing in the others), but luckily a girl! This was three days ago. They're doing fine, out and about eating and drinking. But the mum seems only half interested although not hurting her and let's her sleep under her wing.

However... I've read on here that especially with only one chick it's advisable to re-introduce them sooner than later. So today I did a trial letting them all free range together. The dominant hen pecked at the mum a little and she was very submissive (she very tame and let's me handle the chick fine). Then she pecked at the chick, not too hard but enough to make it squeak! Mum did nothing, much more interested in being out and about! I picked up the chick and popped it back in its end, she squeaked again and mum came to her, although at a gentle plod. Both are locked up again now but mum really wants to get back to the others and is ignoring her chick more than ever!

So I'm not sure what to do. Just keep them separated for six weeks, but then chick will be on her own and make for a trickier re-introduction. Or take chick away and try to source so similarly aged chicks as companions?

Any advice much appreciated!

 

[The Chicken-Boy]

No surprise that only one hatched ... sadly mail order hatching eggs almost never hatch well. All the bumps don't agree with hatching eggs to well.

How old is the chick? This is really a tricky situation. If possible you could let the Mama and her baby out for a few hours, put them back in, and then let the other flock out. Chicks are spunky little things (especially when they get a little older) so a few pecks shouldn't hurt it.

In a week or so I would try letting everyone out together again. Put the Mama and baby out first and give them a little time to get settled. Then you can try letting the others out.

Once the chick is fully feathered (no down visible) it should be ok on its own if the weather's nice and warm. (I don't know what the weather is like in Scotland! ) Once it's to that point (if the weathers nice) you can leave the Omlet open to see if Mama wants to sleep with the flock. (If baby is OK with that) If Mama wants to sleep with baby, awesome!

I went through this kind of thing with 5 chicks recently (now it was 5 so they had company) and did what I'm saying here.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted!!

P.S. I'm not a master "broody chicken with baby" person by any means! (not ->) Just hope this gives you some ideas! Best of luck!

 

[Widget1978]

Hi Chicken-Boy, thanks the reply and advice. Today I let the two big girls out in the garden so mum and baby could have the whole run. Mum loved it but perhaps a little too much! She was busy digging, sitting on perches to peck at the pear tree, dust bathing, all the while ignoring the little one:-( she does it no harm but it's been cheeping away as if it'd like to snuggle under her. I took it away for a couple of minutes and she didn't even seem to notice! She did keep it warm last night at least (I locked them in the nest box). Torn between seeing how it goes or getting a brooder and a couple more chicks, think I may have found some aged with a day or two of mine. Anyone else had the mum loose interest so soon?

 

[Widget1978]

I meant to say, she doesnt defend it from me or the other chickens, but did she fluff up big when one our cats came by (it couldn't get to her in the run), so I guess that's something...

 

[The Chicken-Boy]

Well ... my broody hen did this ... sort of ... not as bad as this, though. I guess it's really your call. The first night that mine slept without mommy they screamed like crazy.

 

[lazy gardener]

Natural broodiness has been bred out of many of today's chickens. A hen may sit on eggs just fine... right until they pip. Then she may abandon the nest, or even kill the chicks. She may hatch her chicks fine, but abandon them after hatch. Brooding is instinctive and IMO perhaps a bit of a learning curve.

If she doesn't tend the chick, you may need to pull it.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

No surprise that only one hatched ... sadly mail order hatching eggs almost never hatch well. All the bumps don't agree with hatching eggs to well.

How old is the chick? This is really a tricky situation. If possible you could let the Mama and her baby out for a few hours, put them back in, and then let the other flock out. Chicks are spunky little things (especially when they get a little older) so a few pecks shouldn't hurt it.

In a week or so I would try letting everyone out together again. Put the Mama and baby out first and give them a little time to get settled. Then you can try letting the others out.

Once the chick is fully feathered (no down visible) it should be ok on its own if the weather's nice and warm. (I don't know what the weather is like in Scotland! ) Once it's to that point (if the weathers nice) you can leave the Omlet open to see if Mama wants to sleep with the flock. (If baby is OK with that) If Mama wants to sleep with baby, awesome!

I went through this kind of thing with 5 chicks recently (now it was 5 so they had company) and did what I'm saying here.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted!!

P.S. I'm not a master "broody chicken with baby" person by any means! (not ->) Just hope this gives you some ideas! Best of luck!

When gauging pecks there are chicken "LOVE" pecks then there are chicken pecks that appear to be designed to rip a chunk of flesh out of the receiving bird. Which kind of peck did your Alpha hen give to your CLB?

Like Chicken-Boy I am not a big fan of shipped eggs. This is especially so when a beginner is in charge of the incubation. Eggs shipped by common carrier should never be incubated unless maybe the eggs are from the goose that lays the proverbial GOLDEN eggs.

 

[Widget1978]

Just a quick update. I decided to leave her with mum and they're doing great. Baby is now 10 days old. Mum still kind of does her own thing, but keeps little one warm at night. I'm letting the other two out in the garden so mum and little one can have the whole run in the day. I occasionally let them all out together under observation. Alpha hen ignores chick mostly, then seems to notice her and give a 'get out of my way peck'. Going to mix them a little at a time until the chick can hold her own.

 

[lazy gardener]

 

[The Chicken-Boy]

Awesome news!