Where's the chick??

[riverlane91]

Hello! I have two broody hens in the same box, I suppose they are doing team work?... Anyway today is day 21. I came home and found and egg in two pieces, but I cannot find a chick anywhere and do not hear peeps. I checked under the first hen and found nothing, I cannot get to the other hen because of her location and how mean she is. They wouldn't have ate it would they? (I looked for sign of moisture from and egg that possibly could have broken, but found nothing Or would it be too early for it to peep because the egg was still moist when I found it? Thanks in advance!

 

[chicknmania]

The chick is probably under the hen that is too mean to get to. They won't peep much for the first couple days, during that time they spend most of the time under their mother, and she will be telling the chick to be quiet and not peep if she thinks there may be danger...and she considers anything to be dangerous that gets near...including you. The chick will not eat or drink anything for the first 24 to 48 hours, nor do they need to, they still have stored nutrition from the egg. After that, the mother hen will show the baby how and where to eat and drink. Starter crumbles are best for the chick and the mother hens can eat starter crumbles too. Hopefully more will hatch. We had a co mothering team with one chick once, and they did a good job co mothering, but sometimes one hen takes over and the other hen doesn't get any chicks. It is best to let the mother hen do her thing, and don't interfere, unless you have to. She will take care of the chicks. We put our mother hens and chicks in a pen by themselves for the first five or six weeks of the chicks' lives, just because it's easier for the mother hen and safer for the chicks...but you don't necessarily have to do this.

 

[riverlane91]

****UPDATE****
2 babies so far, more to come!
One silkie and one Denver bantam silkie mix

 

[chicknmania]

That's good are they all with one mom?

 

[riverlane91]

One mom keeps them warm and still setting on other eggs, the other is teaching them to eat and forage. It's very interesting!