Are you able to candle the eggs when she is off the nest? I would only move the whole bin if they are starting to hatch. She is less likely to get off her egg. I had to move two hens a few weeks ago. The one hen was moved to a secure spot with her whole nest box and stayed put. The second...
If you can section off a corner in the big coop for mama and her babies for a few days that would be best. Last year that is what I did. I stapled the black vinyl fencing to some moveable wood and secured to the coop wall. That way I could still move the fence to get to the rest of the coop...
I would think the chick either was not 100% healthy or crushed. Was the chick located directly in the center when you lifted the heat plate? or stuck in a corner or against the wall? I have only used the heat plate once before but I kept it pulled several inches away from the tote walls so...
4 months, seems young still. I would wait and see. I have a chick that is 10 weeks right now with no sign of a tail yet either. Mine is a mixed breed. Also thinking mine is male due to no tail feathers yet.
Quail can be very aggressive when there are eggs present or nesting. I have had both males and females attacked and killed when a nest of eggs was present.
I have to say that I had a black chicken killed by a hawk 2 months ago. I have had every color chicken killed by a hawk. Full grown chickens. Recently we tied fishing line from the coop to some trees making a matrix, criss cross type pattern. No attacks since that happened. I also have made...
Hello! Congratulations on your new chicks! I am very happy that I saw your post. You mixed baby chick looks just like mine. Black body with a little red face. It's mother is a BO and the father is a black barnyard mix that I hatched from a blue egg. I was wondering where the "red" color...
Well, I had a surprise in my incubator. I am not sure how this coloring happened. It is from a BO mother (hatchery chick) who lays a brown egg and my barnyard mix rooster Mostly black with a little yellowish / brownish coloring on wings and neck. (incubated from a greenish / blue egg). Here...
Oh wow! You are so lucky you had some broody hens! I wish wish wish I get a broody hen this summer! In my 4 years with chickens, I have only had one broody and she was a BO.
I don't know either but I have to think that you have some chance. Mama hen gets off the nest a little bit right? I think Pkarkos made a great point above about candling the eggs to check for progression. Good luck!
You can leave them hatched in the incubator for 2 to 3 days. ( I haven't needed to wait that long) But the internet says they can live on their absorbed yolk for 2 to 3 days. That is how hatcheries are able to ship chicks in the mail. The more you open and close the incubator the more you...