I don't know, we have had some that did and some that didn't, I would just keep introducing it and the momma hen might eventually take to it, perhaps once they are let out of the nest box in a few days? We tried that and it was less obvious to the momma that there was one more,
also if you might have another broody hen, she might take to it.

Here's something you can try, Herringboned 28.

Take one of the accepted babies and hold it gently until it screams bloody murder. Momma hen gets anxious and then almost frantic. Then put the late-hatcher and the screaming baby in with the mother at the same time.

In my experience, momma is so intent on the screamer being returned to her that she never even notices that she is getting two for one. And once it's in there... well, hens can't count.

This trick is easier where larger numbers of chicks with mom. In this case, with only two accepted chicks, it might work best if you kidnap both of them. If you wear something with loose sleeves you can tuck the third chick up your sleeve so that it is less obvious to the hen what you are up to. It should be easy to release it with the one you are holding in that hand.

I take no credit for this method. Someone's kid thought it up and his mother posted it on one of the forums a long time ago. I thought it was cute and clever -- and so I remembered it when I needed it last summer. Worked like a charm... and the advantage over sneaking it under at night is you don't have to be up at the crack of dawn to make sure mom isn't pecking on it. You can just hang around for a bit at a civilized hour of the day.

Towards evening might be the best time... that way they will soon sleep and the little chick will have time on its side to get used to life under a momma hen.

If all else fails, you could just keep them seperate until he is big enough to hold his own I guess.

I was hoping to get the momma hen to take over so he would not have to remain in the house - in a box - where other dangers are present. The housecat has naturally taken a great interest in the chick, and although we are keeping it behind closed doors in a bathroom, I have a great fear that a child may leave the door open and .....well........you know the rest.

I'm thinking of maybe taking all three chicks away from her for a day and then putting them all back in at once. Maybe the old switch-a-roo would work better if they all smelled like "people." Of course, that would put all three at risk in the bathroom :-)

This same momma hen adopted two chicks from the Farmer's Supply into her brood last spring. I never imagined she would be so intense on rejecting this one - especially since she sat on it right down to the hatch.

perhaps not for a full day, but rather for a few minutes, that way they can get your smell on them, a little people smell can go a long way, and they won't be in danger with the cat. Take them out of momma's view, and then when you re enter them , include the third one.

Update please! Which method(s) did you try and what was successful for you?

It is nice for other readers to get the end of the story so that we can learn from it, for when we face similar situations.

Well........we're still working on it. I've put the 3rd chick in a couple more times but it always hides from the others, so for now I'm just waiting for it to get a little bigger and the nights get a little warmer.

My plan is to capture at least one of the favored chicks this weekend and keep it in the house with the rejected chick for awhile, then put them both back out with an ear of corn and see what happens.

If it's big enough, it can run and hide from the broody hen. I just don't want it to get too cold overnight if she won't let it under her.

Concerning the kitten......the other evening my wife called me in to take a look. The cat was laying in the box and the chick was sitting on it's back. She's been introducing them alot - knowing of course, not to leave them alone together. It was pretty cute.

I'm sure this will work out in the end and I'll let y'all know when they are one happy little family. Not the cat.............the chicks :-)

I hope it works. I wouldn't wait too long. There is more chance of it being accepted while it is still young and helpless.

The advantage of the two-for-one is that the kidnapped chick makes frantic noises, telling the hen that all is NOT well. When you put the two chicks back, the kidnapped one settles down and makes contented sounds that tell the hen all is well again with her family. So she relaxes and does not even notice that her two have become three. I'm sure it doesn't always work... but it is quick and easy to try. Adding the cob of corn to distract momma is a brainwave. Definitely a good idea!

If you are worried about the chick being cold at night, a gallon plastic jug filled with hot water will give it something warm to sleep near.

Good luck.

I'm smack in the middle of this right now. I had no choice but to move mom hen into the henhouse but only two eggs had hatched. We put her and her two chicks into the henhouse and put the other eggs under a heat lamp. Yesterday we added a new chick that had hatched under a heat lamp. It is okay now, but it didn't go so good. It kept it's distance from mom for hours and finally right before it got dark, figured out to get under her for warmth. Today, we are giving her the last three that just hatched, but first I'm taking her established three chicks away. I'm doing this because they know to climb under her for warmth and a few minutes away won't cause them to forget. The other three (from the heat lamp) have imprinted on us and each other, so won't know right away to get under mom. But I think that she'll think it's her first three, and sort of scoop them up and get on top of them. Then, I'll put the other three in.

Geeeze, I made need a little luck with this.

Your hen may do fine........ours did last year. With 6 little ones running around it should be too confusing to figure out which to reject and which to love. I think half of our trouble is........the lonesome chick thinks I'm its mother and the cat's a sibling.

Just a quick update. I put the abandoned chick in with the hen and two other chicks last Wednesday and all is well. It still keeps some distance from the hen and sleeps by itself outside the nest box, but is growing and mixing with the other two chicks fine. I think it still likes me better though. When it hears my voice it comes running and will walk right into my hand. It will be a good while before I put them all into the main coop/pen though.