NEED HELP NOW PLEASE!!!

[BeccaGore]

Okay I posted yesterday about my hen being broody and our eggs being a bit late on hatching. Yesterday she had 4, I just went out to feed, and now she is down to 2. I pick the eggs up, and gave them a gentle shake, and I could hear quite a bit of sploshing, which I had read is a bad sign! I'm waiting for my husband to call me back so we can discus what we want to do, because we want to replace the bad eggs with chicks, so I'm not sure if I can take the eggs out now, and we can get the chicks tomorrow, or if the switch HAS to me on the same day.

 

[goodb]

If you have to get chicks, the best thing to do is put them with her late at night. She won't know what you're doing and the chicks will burrow right under her. In the morning, they will be one happy family.

 

[BeccaGore]

Thank you very much for replying! My husband just called me back, and said we will go into town once he gets home from work, and get some chicks. My hen is a Buff should we get baby Buffs, or any breed? (Only asking, because she was also sitting on some of my New Hamshires eggs as well.) Also should she put them in a separate cage in the morning, and buy some chick starter?

I feel stupid for asking questions that should be obvious for me since I've been around chickens all my life, but I've never had to deal with a situation like this on my own.

 

[goodb]

Don't worry about the questions. That's what we're here for.
What breed(s) you get does not matter. Just be aware that the likely hood is they are much more likely to go broody next season. A chick is a chick to her and she will be proud thinking she hatched them. I had a similar situation in April that disappointed me. I made a quick video on the liquid eggs. You can see it here if you care.

She ended up with 5 chicks from a local supplier.She didn't know the difference.

 

[BeccaGore]

Okay I watched your video, and idk how to describe it, um lol. What you can see in your egg looks like what I hear in mine if that makes any sort of sense, haha. The air sack in mine doesn't move, or at least not to that extent, and it when I shook it, it sounded like soup.

So tonight we will make the switch, and in the morning they will be moved to a cage, do you think they will be okay for the night?

The issue we're having is, we weren't expecting chicks until Sunday, so her box is not done yet. It still needs the top wire attached to it. By the time we get home from town it will already be too dark out for us to work on it today.

I'm just wanting to make sure we're doing everything right, because our girls are for meat as well as eggs, and losing chicks is like losing money for us, because we lose out on meat.

 

[goodb]

They will be fine overnight. 100% of chicks surveyed stated they do NOT eat when it's dark. Just get chick starter for them as well as mom and have it ready in the morning. Best of luck!

 

[BeccaGore]

Thank you very much for all the info! Was not expecting all the chaos with the chickens, we've been wrapped up in building rabbit hutches, and awaiting the arrival of our California rabbits.

 

[BeccaGore]

Bad news, non of the local stores are selling chicks anymore. :/ Don't know what to do now.

 

[kuchchicks]

Do you have a hatchery you can order from? They will ship day old chicks. Try Meyer hatchery...i think in Polk Ohio. But think they only hatch on weekends and then ship on Mondays. Not sure if they are open tomorrow but you can call Monday and still have them sent Monday or Tuesday.

 

[BeccaGore]

Thank you, we found a store that has some left, we've got 10 female light Brahmas on hold, and we'll be picking them up in the morning!!