What to do with a lone chick?

My broody left the nest, and thoughtful hubby put the remaining eggs in the bator. One hatched. But broody's chicks are now a full two days older and very mobile, my bator chicks are 3-6 days older and thought the intruder was good to peck at.

Should I keep it by its self for another day and then try to introduce it to the bator chicks later? Try to give it to mom? Or keep it by itself until its super strong and can tell the bator chicks where to go? Or pick the weakest chick from the bator and keep it comany till later when they all get put outside together? I did that with my last hatch, still have the last two hatchers together. The other eggs were not viable from the hen so no buddy from broody.

Two days older isn't bad at all. I'd try putting the lone chick under mama hen tonight after full dark. She shouldn't notice the addition of one more peep come morning, but do watch closely just in case...otherwise, I'd go with a buddy, and introduce everyone in a few days. I've mixed 2-3 day olds with week olds and never had a problem.

I agree with Flicker. Put them together and hope the little guy toughs it out until they decide to quit pecking him. One chick alone is a pain! So toss him in the salad and cross your fingers.

I put a chick that was four days younger under two mamas that were sharing 6 chicks. 7 now. She hatched before all the rest and I couldn't stand to listen to her cry when she was all alone. She was a little trooper. She was only a day old. Mamas took the babies out for a walk in the yard. Every now and then I would notice mama sitting on the little one while the older ones played around her. I think it would do better with a mama than with the incubator chicks. The mamas keep the kids too busy to worry about bugging each other. good luck

I just tried putting a lone chick with 2 moms (2 hens sharing 3 chicks) and the hens killed it  

What did you decide islandgal?

Prairie Chick wrote:I just tried putting a lone chick with 2 moms (2 hens sharing 3 chicks)  and the hens killed it  

Sorry PC, I hate when stuff like that happens.  I no longer let my broodies (none of whom have gone broody this year?!) share chicks once they've hatched. Eggs are tricky enough, but once the peeps are hatched some mama hens go batty. I had two hens sharing an enclosure try and kill each other over one chick, and this was after happily setting together for 3 weeks. My experiences have taught me broodies do best alone.

My plan was to put the baby with mom. I still had the little guy in the bator yesterday, and when I got home from work he wanted some attention, ran to my hand and tried to snuggle. So I knew I had to do something right away before he became a kitchen chicken. I didnt want him to wait until morning for food, as i would be giving him to mom in the dark. I took him to the bator chicks, to give him some water and see if he was ready for food yet....

Well this little guy was so excited to see other chicks. He ran up to all the chicks, no matter how much bigger, and squeal chirped in their face. When he found the two who where the last hatchers from the bator, the Wyandotte and the Marans x green egg layer, they took him "under their wing" so to speak. One on one side. One on the other. Took little dude to the water, where he had a real long drink. Then to the food, where they showed him how to eat.

If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. I should have videoed it. So he's in the bator with the bator chicks, happy as can be. They are totally fine with him how, and he's strong enough to fend for himself now. I checked this morning and he was content as could be.

A good ending to the story!

God Damn...i'm tearing up

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Little dude and a buddy.