First time broody hen, and an Egg Catastrophe! What to do?

[FunClucks]

We have a chick!!! Just hatched yesterday - my son noticed the shell, so he went hunting under her and way in the back found a baby chick. He pulled it out and showed us, and then put it back. Sassy didn't object at all, or peck him, or anything, thank goodness. All our hens have always been fine with us going underneath them to fish out eggs when they're on the nest. Wish I'd snapped pics, it was adorable! And at least two days earlier than I thought it would hatch. No idea what's going on with the timing. We'll see how many more we have today after work.

 

[Prince and Pavo]

That’s awesome! Congratulations!

 

[FunClucks]

Up to two chicks as of yesterday (Friday), and she's still on the nest, with 4 eggs remaining. Biting my nails for those last few eggs... We'll see what she decides to do today. She's had the two chicks off the nest a few times, scratching about and eating food right outside the nest box. I put a chick feeder and waterer in her enclosure, but not sure they've seen it yet.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

How did the rest turn out?

 

[FunClucks]

How did the rest turn out?

I thought she'd abandoned the nest mid-day Saturday - the eggs were cold and peeping. So I changed the real eggs with fake ones and put them in the incubator, and they stopped peeping as soon as they got warm. The next morning we had a baby hatched out. The other two eggs were not fertile, when I went to check them. So Sunday afternoon an hour or so before bedtime I brought the third chick down to the coop, and it started peeping because it was cold. Even before she could see it, my broody started calling to it. So I took it in my hand, and shoved it under her as she sat on the nest. I swiped the fake eggs out from under her and left the baby. The baby got warm and everyone was quiet almost instantly. A little while later, I put some scratch out beyond the nest, and the two other chicks came out to eat it, but momma (Sassy) and baby didn't move. I checked on them again the next day, and all was well.

So I left them in the broody enclosure for a few weeks, until the chicks were a little bigger. Sassy showed her babies how to eat and drink and scratch for food. Then I opened up the broody enclosure to the main coop, and watched to see how things would go. I was very proud of Sassy - she took on all the other chickens and beat them up when they got too close to her chicks. She was formerly a mid to low flock member, but she even took on the head hen and won. So I was glad the chicks would be okay with her looking after them.

The three chicks are about 5 weeks old now, almost fully feathered, and all is going well. Sassy taught them to drink from horizontal nipples around 3-4 weeks, and they joined her on the roost as soon as they could make it up there. I try to make a point of petting and touching them and her each night once they get up on the roost, so they can get used to people. They still have no interest in being touched, but they avoid me during the day rather than flee in terror, and Sassy hasn't fussed at all when I pet them on the roost, so I count it a win.

Overall, I'm thrilled with how the hatch turned out, and happy to have a good proven broody! Waiting to see how old her chicks are before she leaves them to their own devices.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Oh wow, that is so awesome!