Rejected Single Chick

[RejectedSingleChick]

Hi all, first time poster so let me know if there is anything extra I need to add. I have been keeping bantam chickens for a few years now but have only recently started hatching eggs. My first clutch last year was hatched by a broody hen and I had no issues, she was a perfect mum who successfully raised all the babies to adulthood, this included a rooster who I kept. This year I was gone for a few weeks and while I was gone two of my hens hid away with some eggs. They recently hatched, however one hen violently rejected her last chick, for unknown reasons. It hatched a day later than the others and is a different colour but doesn't seem to have anything wrong with it. I was thankfully able to rescue it and warmed and fed it that day. That night I tried to place it under the other hen but found it abandoned and cold the next morning. Since then I have just been keeping it warm and feeding it and letting it build its strength up but I wanted some advice on a long term solution. For a start, I know it is not ideal to raise a single chick alone but is it worse to take one out of the flock that is following around its respective mother and raise it with the rejected chick or is it better to provide enrichment and attempt the challenge of raising the chick alone? Also what is the best way to raise a chick like this? I have set up a brooder in a high traffic area of the house and I am going out to get a mirror and feather duster tomorrow as I saw these recommended on an earlier thread for enrichment. Also how would you recommended re-introducing the chick back to the flock once it is ready? Is there an ideal age or method? Thanks (Photo of chick attached)

 

[LaFleche]

To keep it company I would give it one of the siblings that are being raised by the mother hen.
After being already rejected twice I would not try again as it may end badly for the chick.

What colour are the other chicks?

 

[RejectedSingleChick]

To kerp it company I would give it one of the siblings that are being raised by the mother hen.

Thank you, I think that would probably be the best way, I'll grab one out once they all settle tonight. The others hatched by this hen are all black (there are 3 others), however the other hen had a variety of colours apart from yellow (black and yellow, brown, stripy and silver).

 

[LaFleche]

Thank you, I think that would probably be the best way, I'll grab one out once they all settle tonight. All the others are black or brown (there is 9 others between the two hens), some have a little bit of yellow on the wings or head but this is the only full yellow one.

Yes, this is what I had experienced once as well: one yellow chick out of 15 black and brown was thrown out of the nest by the broody right after hatching and twice later when I tried to smuggle it under at night.
I added two of its siblings to keep it company and raised them myself.

And I never let this particular hen hatch again.

 

[RejectedSingleChick]

Yeah I don't have any plans to let either of these hens have other chicks, I didn't plan to have any chicks this year at all. Thankfully I had the supplies on hand to help this one. I'm supper happy it worked out for you when the same thing happened, it gives me hope that hopefully this one has the same outcome.

 

[LaFleche]

Yeah I don't have any plans to let either of these hens have other chicks, I didn't plan to have any chicks this year at all. Thankfully I had the supplies on hand to help this one. I'm supper happy it worked out for you when the same thing happened, it gives me hope that hopefully this one has the same outcome.

Maybe add two of the siblings as it keeps them more entertained and able to develop social skills.

Good luck, and let us know how things evolve!

 

[PrettyCoolChicks]

This might be a bad idea but if you have 2 hens with chicks about the same age, could the lone chick be adopted by the other hen?

 

[LaFleche]

This might be a bad idea but if you have 2 hens with chicks about the same age, could the lone chick be adopted by the other hen?

It was also abandoned by the other hen:

That night I tried to place it under the other hen but found it abandoned and cold the next morning

 

[PrettyCoolChicks]

Oh my bad, I missed that it was the other hen somehow! I guess it can't be helped. Hopefully it does well with a sibling or two under human care then!

 

[Nomadicus]

It's strange how the colorof the chick may have made the hen think it wasn't hers. At least day old chicks don't care about their room mates colors with the ones I've hatched and raised.

Hi all, first time poster so let me know if there is anything extra I need to add. I have been keeping bantam chickens for a few years now but have only recently started hatching eggs. My first clutch last year was hatched by a broody hen and I had no issues, she was a perfect mum who successfully raised all the babies to adulthood, this included a rooster who I kept. This year I was gone for a few weeks and while I was gone two of my hens hid away with some eggs. They recently hatched, however one hen violently rejected her last chick, for unknown reasons. It hatched a day later than the others and is a different colour but doesn't seem to have anything wrong with it. I was thankfully able to rescue it and warmed and fed it that day. That night I tried to place it under the other hen but found it abandoned and cold the next morning. Since then I have just been keeping it warm and feeding it and letting it build its strength up but I wanted some advice on a long term solution. For a start, I know it is not ideal to raise a single chick alone but is it worse to take one out of the flock that is following around its respective mother and raise it with the rejected chick or is it better to provide enrichment and attempt the challenge of raising the chick alone? Also what is the best way to raise a chick like this? I have set up a brooder in a high traffic area of the house and I am going out to get a mirror and feather duster tomorrow as I saw these recommended on an earlier thread for enrichment. Also how would you recommended re-introducing the chick back to the flock once it is ready? Is there an ideal age or method? Thanks (Photo of chick attached)

And Welcome to BYC! Glad to have you in this community.