[Carshay]

Oh dear I'm sorry, I only seem to post when I have a problem! I went down to the chickens today to see if any had hatched and found a chick outside the nestbox which was as cold as a fridge and looked dead. When I picked it up a foot twitched which I thought may just be a death twitch but then the other one did too, so I held it & warmed it up for about 10 mins then put it under the mother. Half an hour later I went to check & she had thrown it out & in the process wounded its back.the skin was broken about the size of a grain of corn so I put it under a lamp & put purple spray on it. 7 hrs later it is up and fluffy & cheeping for Britain! It's eaten drunk & pooed but I'm worried that it is alone. Will it know its a chicken and is it cheeping for its mother? Should I try returning it to her or just carry on?

[Kate and her Ducks]

Sounds like she has very much decided she doesn't want it having thrown it out twice and injured it in the process. I think you are going to have to accept that next time it may not make it if she rejects it again.

I would keep it in, under heat and see what happens with the rest of the hatch. If your hen hatches the rest and seems to accept them then I might be tempted, under close supervision to try and reintroduce the reject. I would be prepared to intervene at the slightest sign she wasn't having it to take it back plus another to keep it company. I'd be keeping a very close eye on here that she didn't reject the rest of the hatch too.

[ANHBUC]

I would do the same as Kate.

Sometimes the broody knows something we don't about the health of the chick so that could be reason for rejection.  If she rejects them all at least you have the brooder up and running for the rest of the chicks.   

[Carshay]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try & put it back tomorrow. At the moment there is only 1 other chick & it's day24 so not holding out a lot of hope for the other 2 eggs. If she doesn't accept it would it be better to put both chicks in the brooder or just keep the one in it? At the moment it's cheeping so loudly that I really hope she'll take it back!

[Carshay]

Just had a thought - if she won't accept the chick should I get a couple of day olds to keep it company?

[HAPPYCHICKENHOME]

A friend has just had the same problem, one chick thrown out then put back and then found dead the next morning, everything else seemed ok but a day and a half later she had killed them all - strange as last year she looked after some stray chicks, its hard to watch them all of the time and the best is if they can stay with her, good luck.

[Sassy]

They do cheep if they are cold so ensure it is warm enough. If you can get a couple of young chicks it would not hurt to keep them with her much better than being on its own