1 chick hatched Hen abandoned nest do you think they will hatch?

[DixieDame67]

Yesterday a Hen that has been sitting on 10 eggs , one hatched 5 days ago and is now being very vocal so yesterday 3-4 times I would check on them she would be off her nest , so about 4pm I went outside and got another broody hen and sat her on the eggs , candeled last night, tossed one no development but the others I can see dark with air sack, do you think they will hatch? Should I crack open one that has a baby in it? This is a mystery nest i found outside so I have no idea how long , have heard when a hen sets eggs should hatch within 2-3 days of each other, is this true, thanks for any suggestions

 

[walkswithdog]

If she's staying off the nest - they'll die without her. Cracking open a chick not ready - kills it.

You have to rig up a "hatcher" a box, a desk lamp with a 40w (maybe lower) bulb, a damp cloth and some thing like towels to lay them on.

Some people manage it with a heating pad on low.

Some people use other heat sources.

Your goal is around 100 degrees consistently with some humidity to help hatch.

To find out how far along an egg is you take it in a DARK room and put a flashlight to it, make a cone of your hand if the flashlight is bigger than the egg. I use an LED penlight so that's not a problem. A chick is a big black mass that may or may not wiggle when you're watching.

You will see a large airspace, a chick ready to hatch has more than 1/3 the egg airspace, and if you point the flashlight at the tiny end - it's all black, not some open space there - any yellow or open space in the small end just before hatching is the yolk sac still unabsorbed - the chick not ready to hatch.

A tiny percentage of chicks are backwards or sideways and then that rule does not fit, unfortunately.

If you want to check for life by opening an egg - follow the DIRECTIONS in the thread " helping a chick" that is in the hatching thread at the top of this forum. Go slowly, be patient, always open an egg as if the chick is alive or you WILL kill one you think is dead. That's not fun.

 

[DixieDame67]

Walkswithdog, Thank you so much for the useful information, I had another broody hen I have been taking eggs from each day as I am overrun with broodys and whats so strange is they are 20-23 week old pullets, So I brought her in to sit on the eggs and put them in a seperate kennel, she gladly took right over and has not moved since i put her there.....Also have another pullet on 12 eggs I found outside, shes doing fine, to be honest i was shocked when that chic hatched, the eggs are so small I thought no way a chic can grow in there, and that lone chic is soo tiny, it's finally started drinking and dived into some mashed up egg this morning....going now to read that thread you suggested, once again thanks for the information

 

[walkswithdog]

Back up broodies are awesome! I don't have them consistently so I always have at least one incubator plugged in.

Yes, it's always odd when pullet eggs - the little ones - hatch any way. The chicks do catch up but they do start out tiny, don't they???

Good luck with the rest.

 

[mulia24]

OMG, i think i need one broody over here. if only you can export it to here.

that's the best *incubator*, i don't need to worry with power outages.

 

[DixieDame67]

Update::::: So i gathered tools to check one of the eggs, I first took an egg from my broody that is sitting on 12 eggs, they are very dark and the air sack is small at the fat end, dark on top.....then looking at the eggs hen abandoned...large air sacks and they should be further along than the others, well long story short the remaining 9 eggs were rotten

I guess she knew that is why she abandoned the nest, so as not to disappoint the broody i brought in I gave her 2 of the 12 that are still looking good... Mulia I have been reading your post and so sadden to hear about the last power outage......If I knew a way I would send you some of my hens as they seem to want to stay broody ALOT ! I hope you try again to hatch , I admire your determination !!!

 

[mulia24]

thank you dixiedame, you have good hen , she can even *detect* bad eggs.

you're very lucky far than me.