# hen raising baby bird?



## dwbonfire (Jun 2, 2012)

i found a fledgling today, got out of my truck and nearly stepped on it. i had found another dead this morning but way across the yard, no idea how it died or was killed.. this one is sitting there yelling at me when i walkd by lol.. i feel badly because we have cats and also its going to get kind of chilly tonight.. i have baby chicks in a brooder but i dont know about putting it in with them before i asked here first.. also i have a little hen that started sitting on eggs so i thought maybe she would take to it? i just figure it only needs a couple more days before it could fly, it obviously tried and got where it is somehow, no trees over head so it flew or waddled a distance.. anyone ever heard of a hen taking to a baby bird?? what would you do? i know nature knows best and some say to leave it there but i do feel like it wil freeze or get eaten by the cats. its a pretty little thing, yellow belly.. no idea what it is tho.


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## Alicia G (Jun 2, 2012)

I wouldn't put it with the hen, she would most likely kill it.... The other thing you have to take in consideration is that wild birds (well song birds mostly) feed their young. If this guy can't fly yet he is still dependant on momma. The best thing to do is to A) leave it be and let nature do its thing or B) contact your local wildlife department. Feeding baby birds is a big task, and once you've done it with a wild bird they can never truly be wild again...
Sorry to sound like a downer >.<


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## bonbean01 (Jun 2, 2012)

I have to agree with Alicia...hard as it is, you'd have to know what kind of bird it is...then what it eats...sorry


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## Cricket (Jun 2, 2012)

Can you put the baby bird in a shrub or tree and it's mom can find it?  Can't remember the proper terms, but a chicken whose young are born with feathers and eat off the ground are a whole different thing than birds that are born without feathers and whose mom feeds them.  I'd agree the hen would kill it.  Don't you hate this kind of decision?!  Good luck!


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## dwbonfire (Jun 2, 2012)

thanks everyone, i have tried to stay away from the area the bird was, but im gonna go back out and if its there i will put it in a shrub beyond the fence so the dogs can get it when they are out either. no telling if it will survive since its going to get cold tonight but hopefully it has enough feathers to keep it warm. dont know why animals find me but they surely do lol


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## Stacykins (Jun 2, 2012)

The rule of thumb is to always leave a fledgling alone. Moving it up out of danger is OK, but since it is learning how to fly, it'll be down on the ground again soon enough. With fledglings, unless something has happened to the parents (unlikely) they are around, and continuing to feed their learning baby, keep it warm at night. It is a very stressful life stage for them, they are learning all their life skills and how to survive. The worst thing someone can do is remove a fledgling from the watchful eye of its parents, since once the chick is taken away, they can't teach it anymore. And yes, some do die in this stage, that is normal. 

Ditto on the hen thing. Chicken chicks are precocial, meaning from hatch they are mobile and active. If shown, they quickly find food and water on their own. Nearly all nesting songbirds and the like are altricial, their young are completely dependent and immobile for a time, needing constant care. Even though the chick is a fledgling, the mother hen can't offer it food like the parents of the chick. She might tidbit to show where food is, but doesn't directly feed, what most bird parents do, even for a fledgling.


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## dwbonfire (Jun 2, 2012)

Stacykins said:
			
		

> The rule of thumb is to always leave a fledgling alone. Moving it up out of danger is OK, but since it is learning how to fly, it'll be down on the ground again soon enough. With fledglings, unless something has happened to the parents (unlikely) they are around, and continuing to feed their learning baby, keep it warm at night. It is a very stressful life stage for them, they are learning all their life skills and how to survive. The worst thing someone can do is remove a fledgling from the watchful eye of its parents, since once the chick is taken away, they can't teach it anymore. And yes, some do die in this stage, that is normal.
> 
> Ditto on the hen thing. Chicken chicks are precocial, meaning from hatch they are mobile and active. If shown, they quickly find food and water on their own. Nearly all nesting songbirds and the like are altricial, their young are completely dependent and immobile for a time, needing constant care. Even though the chick is a fledgling, the mother hen can't offer it food like the parents of the chick. She might tidbit to show where food is, but doesn't directly feed, what most bird parents do, even for a fledgling.


very well put.. i definetly agree with all the laws of nature and hate to impose but of course i felt badly and like i should maybe help out. im glad i did not, and im glad when i went out tonight it wasnt there. so heres hoping the little guy got the hang of flying and is safe somewhere in a tree! thanks everyone, sometimes i need others input to know which decision to make in a situation like this.


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## manybirds (Jun 3, 2012)

dwbonfire said:
			
		

> i found a fledgling today, got out of my truck and nearly stepped on it. i had found another dead this morning but way across the yard, no idea how it died or was killed.. this one is sitting there yelling at me when i walkd by lol.. i feel badly because we have cats and also its going to get kind of chilly tonight.. i have baby chicks in a brooder but i dont know about putting it in with them before i asked here first.. also i have a little hen that started sitting on eggs so i thought maybe she would take to it? i just figure it only needs a couple more days before it could fly, it obviously tried and got where it is somehow, no trees over head so it flew or waddled a distance.. anyone ever heard of a hen taking to a baby bird?? what would you do? i know nature knows best and some say to leave it there but i do feel like it wil freeze or get eaten by the cats. its a pretty little thing, yellow belly.. no idea what it is tho.


put it somewhere the cats cant get it. don't put it under the hen! momma bird was probably watching u as u picked it up, the parents tend to stay and watch the babies as they learn


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## Roll farms (Jun 3, 2012)

Not to mention the bird could carry something that could make the chickens sick, or vice versa.

*never* mix wild and domestic animals.


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