Natural brooding

Qom, the grey chick that might never have lived

Yesterday we made sure that the third and last egg under Black was still alive and on it’s way to hatching. The unique ‘pip’ noise inside the shell made me think that it was on it’s way to join it’s brothers and sisters under their mother.

This morning I went to see Black and I noticed Quick, the yellow chick (descended from Chicken, bantam rooster) wandering around her.

And around noon…

Great !! I see Black, outside with her two chicks, enjoying a well-deserved dirt bath, after 3 weeks in the nest. I thought she would get back to her third egg.

How awful ! I got close to the nest, the chick had started to make a hole in t’s shell but the egg was left there on it’s own and it was very cold…I stuck my ear on it to hear something…At that moment, I think I do hear a noise but so faint that I’m not completely sure. I put the egg in my pocket, in my hand to warm it up a little and I ran to the house.

Last minute rescue

I listen again, hardly any sound but something is still moving. I candle the egg to look for the slightest movement and I notice something…It’s still alive.

Quick ! I put him in the incubator while I turn on the second one, ready to welcome the baby chick when it comes out. A clean cloth, a pair of tweezers and I’m ready to help it out artificially and to try and save this little one abandoned by it’s mother.

The chick is cold and exhausted. I open up the shell a little, the membrane is dry but not stuck onto it, it’s going to be quick. There’s no more blood, this chick is at full term ! I try my best to do everything fast in order to put it back in the incubator. It unfolds, but doesn’t move, without a sound…

I’m not sure it can make it, it must’ve been so cold. The incubator is nice and warm. It hardly moves but still breathing, I keep an eye on the chick. Two hours later it’s nearly dry, trying to stand up and chirping like any healthy chick !!

Live rescue video (french version) :

Another rescued baby chick !!

Let’s hope this beautiful grey and fluffy chick will live a long time, despite being abandoned by it’s mother. 🙂

Have you ever faced this kind of situation ?

Tell us about it in the comment section below !