dilemma over chick

C

chickenfan

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I've had one chick rejected from a brood of three. Because she was rejected, I put her with another chick under an electric hen, but both chicks weren't feeding well under this. They weren't cheeping to say they were too cold, just quiet. I've now moved the second chick back with its mum, and it is feeding again normally, but she won't take the other one, so I've left it on its own under the electric hen. I did try putting the first chick under the electric hen briefly, but it seemed to miss mum too much.

Does anyone have any ideas? I've used the electric hen before with no problem. I'm not sure what's best to do regarding the rejected chick. I shouldn't have thought it would survive on its own. Is it the lack of encouragement to eat from the mother that made them less inclined to eat? Should I perhaps look for a couple of chicks from elsewhere to go with this one?

I have to say that I shall never try hatching again this time of year as none of the chicks are as robust as ones I've had before. So I'm feeling very guilty
 
Healthy chicks will eat and do all that's natural with no help from a hen. Perhaps this one has had one knock on the head too many and is damaged. It would be worth trying another couple of chicks if you can find them.
 
Oh dear, what a worry for you. You've got somemore hatching in the next day or so if I remember rightly could you put one or two in with it?
 
Thank you Chuck and New to Ducks, I'm very grateful for the feedback.

The rejected chick hasn't been pecked hard on the head. I'm puzzled that both chicks under the electric hen were rather quiet and not eating properly, but that the one that the broody accepted back is now eating all the time and very bright. I'm getting two 4 day-olds this afternoon to put with the rejected one to see if that helps.

She does occasionally shake her head. I don't know if that's significant.
 
Keep us posted as to how your little one is with it's new buddies-hope everything works out. I raised 4 one week old chicks a couple of years ago that I'd bought from a breeder and from about 4 months of age they all died over a period of a few weeks mainly of neurogical problems. I was gutted and haven't tried again with chicks-it's much harder than I expected. The ducklings I reared at the same time thrived however so I was doing something right.
 
The chick is thriving with her buddies and is now eating well and bouncing all over the place!
 
Thank you all so much.

I last visited the forum 18 months ago when I had a young bird injected by the vet with penicillin and she promptly collapsed flat, twisted her neck in knots and just occasionally twitched all night with me dropping water in her beak. You were so kind, Marigold, that I thought you might like to know I still have this miracle bird that survived, although she took months to recover.
 
I'm so glad she recovered in the end, after all the work you put into her - what a lucky girl. And also its really good that the chick is doing well. You are obviously a very skilled and patient poultry nurse!
 
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