Different days of age embryos under broody hen

[loverofhatching]

Hi all
This is my first thread.I started storing eggs from my flock in the same vicinity in a vacant room with little furniture for one week. At day 7 (being 22-06-2014) there were 9 eggs. On same day I purchased another 1 dozen fertile eggs from local departmental store and placed 13 selected eggs from my own flock and D store. Before putting the eggs under hen i candled them and found out that two of them were 4 days embryos and one was 2-3 days. On day 7 through incubation i candled the eggs and found that 2 of them were infertile and 1 was a day 2 quitter so i discarded them. Now its 11th day of placing eggs under hen. but 3 eggs are older than rest. I am worried that the hen will leave the nest with 3 older eggs and abandon the other 7 egg.what should i do?

 

[Judy]

There realy isn't anything you can do unless you own an incubator, or want to try to "mock one up" with a heating pad or something. But it may not be necessary. She should stay on the eggs and newly hatched chicks for a day or two before abandoning any unhatched eggs to raise the chicks.

I'm not quite sure why they had started developing before you put them under her. Usually they are stored at room temp or just a little cooler for that week or so that you are collecting them, and they don't start developing until they are in that 100 degree or so environment,

 

[soydo]

If you don't have an incubator or hatcher you can remove those early chicks immediately after they hatch if they actually hatch several days before the due date. The hen will continue to sit as long as any hatched chicks are removed immediately and a suitable number of eggs remain in the nest- would not be a bad idea to add one or two new eggs to the clutch but with 7 it's probably not necessary.

Put the pre-hatched chicks back under hen when the other eggs have hatched. At night is best so they have the whole night to bond with the mother hen. Also best before the hen has left the nest, many hens know who their babies are from pretty early on so if you wait even one or two days the hen may reject the older chicks.

 

[happyhens1972]

If you don't have an incubator or hatcher you can remove those early chicks immediately after they hatch if they actually hatch several days before the due date. The hen will continue to sit as long as any hatched chicks are removed immediately and a suitable number of eggs remain in the nest- would not be a bad idea to add one or two new eggs to the clutch but with 7 it's probably not necessary.

Put the pre-hatched chicks back under hen when the other eggs have hatched. At night is best so they have the whole night to bond with the mother hen. Also best before the hen has left the nest, many hens know who their babies are from pretty early on so if you wait even one or two days the hen may reject the older chicks.

I completely agree with this approach. This seems the best way to ensure the maximum amount of eggs are hatched and that mum cares for them all. You should, however, be prepared to need a brooder in case you have any problem chicks or mum rejects the first hatchers x

 

[loverofhatching]

thanx every body.
I was very much stressed now i am relieved a bit and waiting anxiously for my chicks.
Older embryos are due on 09-07-2014 and rest of the clutch is due on 13-07-2014. So i will update what happens.

 

[loverofhatching]

Hi,

my first baby chick hatched today at around 12 noon.

i have separated her from mother (with a heavy heart but its for her bros and sists) in a room in separate box with dried grass and put a thin cloth over her so that he may not get cold. temperature here is around 95 degrees with humidity around 34%. the separation is only for 3-4 days.

May God Bless my hatch.

 

[happyhens1972]

Hi,

my first baby chick hatched today at around 12 noon.

i have separated her from mother (with a heavy heart but its for her bros and sists) in a room in separate box with dried grass and put a thin cloth over her so that he may not get cold. temperature here is around 95 degrees with humidity around 34%. the separation is only for 3-4 days.

May God Bless my hatch.

I would remove the dried grass....she is not ready to be eating grass yet and she will try if it is available to her. If you mean hay....as in long hay that is not suitable for her to eat, it still tends to mold and harbour bacteria when it gets damp from poop or spilled water.

Woodchip is a good substrate for newly hatched chicks or even just a few layers of kitchen paper.

Congratulations on your first baby though

 

[loverofhatching]

Here is the video of broody hen with her clutch.
The egg with blue mark is the age fellow of the chick. May be some 12+ hours to 1 day younger.

 

[loverofhatching]

thanx.

I will change the hay and put wood shavings under the chick.

 

[soydo]

It says video is private, we aren't able to see it as result.


I still would put a lamp in the box for the chick. If the room is super warm, it can be 60, 75 watt but keep 100 watt on hand in case it starts to get cold at night. It would get too cold at night. Create a warm/hot corner and a cool corner for the chick to move between.

Hurry up and hatch, bros and sis!