Hey guys

I have a hen with a chick that hatched this morning, and she hasnt been feeding it. This is her second of two fertile eggs, the last chick dying from not being fed. So when this chick hatched this morning, I fed it.

I follwed the directions on a thread on here. Mix food and slowly feed chick until crop fills (about 2 or 2 drops). This was fine, but then I had to go to school today. So I fed the chick at about 8.30am, and when I got home it was empty so I fed it at about 5pm. The chicks crop emptied in about 30 minutes. So, does this mean the mum must have fed it sometime in the day?

When I put the chick in the nest and checked it 5 minutes later, the crop looked SLIGHTLY fuller, which makes me wonder if the chick was fed a tiny bit by the mum just after I put it back.

 

The mum is only a blue ring hen, cock is red. I have considered fostering, but none of my hens have chicks that age (apart from my colony bred birds, which I only just realised but I am slightly unsure of putting the chick in there). It seems like the dad goes in the nest and disrupts the mum a bit.

 

If I took the dad out and left the mum in there, would that intice the mum to feed? It is like the cock is distracting her.

 

Urgent answers needed please. Chicks crop is currently empty, should I feed again?

Sophie

 

Update: Chick wasn't being fed again, and was squeaking alot. I didn't want to run out of time like the last chick, (that is a reason why the last one died, I was making the mixture as it died in my hands) and it was cold. So I put it in my colony aviary in a clutch of 3 (now 4) They are reasonably young, the youngest being 2 days old, oldest about a week. I suppose there is nothing more I can do. The chick was cold, and I blew on it a bit. I just hope the mum will feed it. It is getting dark now, so I will need to check it tommorrow morning before school. I can only pray.

Edited September 8, 201014 yr by Squeak_Crumble

You should have fed it BEFORE putting it in that nest.

You should have fed it BEFORE putting it in that nest.

 

I am mixing up some food now, I am going out in a 10 minutes though. I didnt want the chick to die in my hands like last time, I was mixing the food and the chicks just drifted off.

You should have fed it BEFORE putting it in that nest.

 

I am mixing up some food now, I am going out in a 10 minutes though. I didnt want the chick to die in my hands like last time, I was mixing the food and the chicks just drifted off.

That had nothing to do with you, the last chick dying in your hands. BUT if you dont feed this one before putting it under the other hen it will be dead by morning.

You should have fed it BEFORE putting it in that nest.

 

I am mixing up some food now, I am going out in a 10 minutes though. I didnt want the chick to die in my hands like last time, I was mixing the food and the chicks just drifted off.

That had nothing to do with you, the last chick dying in your hands. BUT if you dont feed this one before putting it under the other hen it will be dead by morning.

kaz is right

it will last till morn even if she doesnt fed it if you do it before placeing in box then she will keep it warm then if in morn its not fed (u will need to get up at 6am and cheak ) have food ready to just grab chick out and fed then place under her again while you at school

she will keep it warm you can keep topping chick up till she starts to feed her self

but she should feed it id she has her own chicks but maybe not toill morning when all calling to be fed

good luck

Last time I checked ( this morning) chick was fed and happy. I am just about to go out and check. I did end up feeding him/her last night, and I have been checking every moment I can. News in 2 minutes!

What I do with chicks that hatch and aren't fed is .... I put a chick in the nest that is a bit older .

I have 2 nest at the moment which are first time mums, One nest hatched a chick 4 days ago and it died from not being fed. So I put a chick in her nest that was 5 days old and she fed it and when her chick hatch 2 days later she fed it too so that nest is all good now, the older chick has been returned to it's origional nest.

The other nest a chick hatched today and it wasn't fed so I did the same thing. I always put bigger chick in that is bi enough to crys for a feed which forces the hen to feed it and I like them to be big enough so the hen doesn't squash it too.

So if you have a chick a few days old even older up to about 7 days should be okay.

What I do with chicks that hatch and aren't fed is .... I put a chick in the nest that is a bit older .

I have 2 nest at the moment which are first time mums, One nest hatched a chick 4 days ago and it died from not being fed. So I put a chick in her nest that was 5 days old and she fed it and when her chick hatch 2 days later she fed it too so that nest is all good now, the older chick has been returned to it's origional nest.

The other nest a chick hatched today and it wasn't fed so I did the same thing. I always put bigger chick in that is bi enough to crys for a feed which forces the hen to feed it and I like them to be big enough so the hen doesn't squash it too.

So if you have a chick a few days old even older up to about 7 days should be okay.

Fantastic advice Splat :thankyou: I have a hen that laid 5 clear eggs and 1 egg was DIS. It would have been due about now, so I was going to give her a couple of foster chicks. I gave her a 1 day old chick but she didn't feed it, so put it back. Will it be okay to give her an older chick like you mentioned?

You can try her but keep an eye on her to make sure she does feed it. If you do it in the morning and the chick has food in the crop by the arvo you should be right with her, but if empty put the chick back where it came from. Some hens are just bad mothers.

What I do with chicks that hatch and aren't fed is .... I put a chick in the nest that is a bit older .

I have 2 nest at the moment which are first time mums, One nest hatched a chick 4 days ago and it died from not being fed. So I put a chick in her nest that was 5 days old and she fed it and when her chick hatch 2 days later she fed it too so that nest is all good now, the older chick has been returned to it's origional nest.

The other nest a chick hatched today and it wasn't fed so I did the same thing. I always put bigger chick in that is bi enough to crys for a feed which forces the hen to feed it and I like them to be big enough so the hen doesn't squash it too.

So if you have a chick a few days old even older up to about 7 days should be okay.

Fantastic advice Splat :thankyou: I have a hen that laid 5 clear eggs and 1 egg was DIS. It would have been due about now, so I was going to give her a couple of foster chicks. I gave her a 1 day old chick but she didn't feed it, so put it back. Will it be okay to give her an older chick like you mentioned?

 

That is a great idea, but I only have one pair on chicks right now and they are feathered. ( I prefer to leave the colony chicks by themselves)

 

Well, Here are pictures. Chick is alive and well still. I was worried, I couldnt see her but I couldnt see a body either. So I shifted some bodies, and saw her little bum sticking out. I am going to say girl.

 

I dub thee, Miracle

(Little bum stickin out)

Sorry I did't relise that there were other chicks in the nest. Yes I would leave her there, the hen she feed her, I find when they have others in the nest and they don't feed one that there must be something wrong with it, So nature takes it course if that's the case. But I hope it makes it.

You can try her but keep an eye on her to make sure she does feed it. If you do it in the morning and the chick has food in the crop by the arvo you should be right with her, but if empty put the chick back where it came from. Some hens are just bad mothers.

Thanks Splat I will give her a go tomorrow with a 5 day old chick. :thankyou:

Hi Squeak_Crumble, sounds like foster Mum has accepted your little one so I'd leave her there and keep check she is being fed. Are there other eggs still to hatch in original nest? If she still does't feed them I'd move them straight away to foster nest, it will save you trying to feed chicks with school etc.

 

 

Sorry just re-read you said 2 fertile so I guess that nests clear now. Good luck with chick.

Edited September 10, 201014 yr by KAZ

You can try her but keep an eye on her to make sure she does feed it. If you do it in the morning and the chick has food in the crop by the arvo you should be right with her, but if empty put the chick back where it came from. Some hens are just bad mothers.

Thanks Splat I will give her a go tomorrow with a 5 day old chick.

The 5 day old chick is now happy with full crop in foster parents nest. I put him in at 8am, checked at 12pm and he had a full crop and then checked again 3.45pm, still good.

Thank you again Splat for your advice

Ps. Should I take out all the clear eggs now? Or leave them in because I plan on giving her another chick or two.

You can try her but keep an eye on her to make sure she does feed it. If you do it in the morning and the chick has food in the crop by the arvo you should be right with her, but if empty put the chick back where it came from. Some hens are just bad mothers.

Thanks Splat I will give her a go tomorrow with a 5 day old chick.

The 5 day old chick is now happy with full crop in foster parents nest. I put him in at 8am, checked at 12pm and he had a full crop and then checked again 3.45pm, still good.

Thank you again Splat for your advice

Ps. Should I take out all the clear eggs now? Or leave them in because I plan on giving her another chick or two.

well how old will the chicks you put in be ??

if they will be new born leave eggs your planing to replace but take rest

if planing on moving older chicks out and leaving new borns in as they hatch

then take eggs away

i would move in the first three oldest and leave new chicks with mum

You can try her but keep an eye on her to make sure she does feed it. If you do it in the morning and the chick has food in the crop by the arvo you should be right with her, but if empty put the chick back where it came from. Some hens are just bad mothers.

Thanks Splat I will give her a go tomorrow with a 5 day old chick.

The 5 day old chick is now happy with full crop in foster parents nest. I put him in at 8am, checked at 12pm and he had a full crop and then checked again 3.45pm, still good.

Thank you again Splat for your advice

Ps. Should I take out all the clear eggs now? Or leave them in because I plan on giving her another chick or two.

well how old will the chicks you put in be ??

if they will be new born leave eggs your planing to replace but take rest

if planing on moving older chicks out and leaving new borns in as they hatch

then take eggs away

i would move in the first three oldest and leave new chicks with mum

Cheers GB I was thinking about giving her another chick tomorrow (Saturday), that will be 6 days old and one more on Sunday that will be 5 days old.