2 broody hens pooping in their nest, one with chicks. Help

[dutchsilkie]

Okay, so we came back from our vacation and we had 2 broody hens both sitting on 12 eggs. I checked, they were fertilised and around 12 - 18 days between them. I never intended to hatch chicks this year, but we decided to hatch them anyway because they were so far along.

I was told I needed to seperate the broody hens from the other chickens, so that the chicks would not get hurt. I made them their own run, and bought a new coop because my old one isn't big enough for that many chicks.

This morning I heard a little chick with broody hen number 1
Today is really bad weather over here, and I noticed both chicks stayed inside all day.
I just went to check on them and saw a dried poop with broody 1. And then I went to check on number 2, and she had a very big stinky poop just besides her. Went to scoop it, and then she moved and I saw that everything is covered in poop. The eggs, her belly. Everything. It's like she had diarrhea all over the place. It's probably poop from multiple days.

And I don't know what to do know, besides never to use water on the eggs. I expect the other eggs to hatch any minute (we've been back for over a week), and I don't want to disturb them or give them anymore stress.
Both of them don't let me come near them. They become very defensive / aggressive. The eggs are likely to hatch at any moment, so any disturbance would be too much (in my opinion).

Please advise me on what to do. Do I try to move broody hen 1 and check if I can remove the poo? What about the little chick?

What do I do with the really dirty hen 2?

 

[dutchsilkie]

Some extra information: I picked up an incubator and a brooder from an acquaintance, so if it's safer for the eggs of really dirty hen #2 I can put them in the incubator.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi,

You didn't have to move them IMO, as the other chickens won't hurt the babies. Those mothers turn into battle hens and it doesn't take long before the others know to stay away. The roosters will generally help enforce this and protect the babies, too. But, that said, they're moved.

Usually the hens leave the nest to do most of the pooping, so it's weird she's just staying in there pooping.

Is there a nest next to these broodies that's clean? If so, what I would do is put on some latex gloves or stronger gloves if you have clean ones, pick up the hen, flick off the poop you can, but don't take more than a few seconds, and move her to the next-door clean nest. Then pick up her eggs, flick off any chunks, and put them in front of her. They'll be a little cleaner and have a semi poop-free nest to hatch in. This will upset her, but she will busy herself with pulling those eggs you put in front of her, under her.

Don't worry if these eggs are still filthy. This will be better than leaving them sit it in though, or having the chicks hatch in a pile of poop.

 

[dutchsilkie]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply and advice @Debbie292d

They were brooding outside, and we do have predators at night here (foxes, martens etc.), so I felt I needed to move them anyway.

I'm waiting for it to get dark over here, so I can do as you adviced me too but decided to check on them again. And I actually think broody hen #2 is really sick. She was shaking yesterday, but she is quite a nervous chicken so I thought she was a little stressed. Yesterday she was still alert en moving in her crate.

But now she is huddled (is that the right term?), her head tucked away. She is breathing really heavy, and I can actually hear her breathing. It's kind of raspy. Maybe she is sick because she didn't leave her nest, or she didn't leave her nest because she is sick.

Does it sound to you like she is sick?
Do I need to quarentine her, and put her eggs in the incubator? Or am I getting to anxious (I really want to do the right thing).