I have been juggling four broody hens and their egg clutches and in the process of trying to control it all I missed an egg. What I mean is, one batch of eggs hatched 7 days ago, another is due in about 13 days, but one single egg hatched last night. One hen stopped being broody when all of her eggs failed. The other three are now raising the chicks that hatched 7 days ago out in the coop. So the single egg I had in an incubator in the house since there was no broody left for egg-sitting.
Problem being now I have a single chick who is lonely and peeping like crazy. She is only about 8 hours old. My thought was that perhaps tomorrow night (when she is 30+ hours old) or maybe the night after, slipping her in with one of the mama hens sitting on the chicks out in the coop. Or maybe that is too early and I should wait until she is more than a week old?
I am afraid, of course, that either she won't be accepted, might get harmed since she will be a full week younger, or at worst one of the mama hens might kill her. But it also feels like maybe sooner is better than later? What should I do? Thanks!
Problem being now I have a single chick who is lonely and peeping like crazy. She is only about 8 hours old. My thought was that perhaps tomorrow night (when she is 30+ hours old) or maybe the night after, slipping her in with one of the mama hens sitting on the chicks out in the coop. Or maybe that is too early and I should wait until she is more than a week old?
I am afraid, of course, that either she won't be accepted, might get harmed since she will be a full week younger, or at worst one of the mama hens might kill her. But it also feels like maybe sooner is better than later? What should I do? Thanks!