2 hens and rooster on nest- 1 baby kicked out-help!

[tndrees]

Hi, this is my first time with broody hens. I have 3 Japenese Black Tail, 2 hens and one rooster. One hen started laying on the eggs then about a week later the other one did, also. The rooster squeezes in with them too, about half the time. I have a shelf outside the nest box, and I just found a baby chick laying there. All 3 chickens were in the nest. It is alive but not sure if it will make it. I took it inside and put it under heat lamp. Now I don't know what to do. Should I separate the rooster? We were just getting ready to go away, but now I'm scared to leave!

 

[HorseFeathers]

Why on earth is the roo in the nest? He must have SERIOUS mental issues!!! I would seperate him if I were you. Make sure you pay VERY CLOSE attention to the chick (I'm sure I don't need to tell you this). Do you have someone else so you could watch the grown-ups and the baby at the ame time? Wish I could help more; maybe someone else on here knows what to do.

!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I've never had a broody but, I would separate the rooster out. Then if you can separate one hen into a nest with some of the eggs and leave the other in that nest with the rest of the eggs. Keep the little one you have in a brooder until you see what the hens are going to do. If they settle and are going to raise anymore that are going to hatch you could slip that one back under at night.

 

[tndrees]

I just went out to separate the rooster and another almost hatched egg was out of the nest. I put it back under the hens. Not sure if I should have done that or put it in incubator. I'm trying to get the incubator ready but the temp is not right yet. The rooster seemed very sad when the other hen started setting on nest. He was lonely. He doesn't roost in the nest at night, but does most of the day! I'm not sure what to do for the baby. It has blood on it's back and is just laying there. Thanks.

 

[tndrees]

Here is a picture of the baby. Does anyone know what is the matter with it?When should I try to give it water? It mostly just lays there. Sometimes it tries to stand up.

 

[akd23237]

Hi, I hope things are going well. Here's a link that may help: http://www.strombergschickens.com/stock/chick_care.php

One emergency technique they give is to give the baby chick water with 3 tablespoons of table sugar per quart for extra energy. I'm no vet, but if the chick is bleeding, I'd treat his wounds with with an antiseptic, with some iodine tincture. I'd also try to get him to drink asap, and eat something.........

 

[tndrees]

Thanks for the info, but when I awoke the chick was dead. Then later today, we went away, and when we returned another chick was out of the nest and dead. I looked in the nest and another was partially hatched, and dead. I don't know what is going on. I thought having the hen lay on her eggs would be easier than incubating them, but I was wrong! I don't know if I should take the other eggs out and try to save them, or just let nature run it's course. Any advise would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[MissPrissy]

Why are you blaming the rooster?

Do you know Kimmie had a broody rooster that hatched eggs for her last fall? Yes, broody rooster.

If there was something wrong with the chicks as they hatched either of the hens could have thrown those babies out.

The chicken world is a cruel cold world. They instictively cull weakness and will not foster a weakling along. It weakens the flock and dilutes the gene pool.

I am sorry for your loss. Allowing hens to set eggs is the most reliable way but when you do that you also have to accept the outcome such as this.

Not all eggs that hatch are viable or strong chicks. They do have the possibility to be genetically defective. Hens sense these things and cull the flock before we have to step in and do it ourselves.

 

[tndrees]

Thanks for the info. I wondered if maybe they were defective. I also felt guilty blaming the rooster. I tried to seperate him yesterday with a fence in their coop. He was very upset, and managed to fly over the fence , when it was time to roost. So today I just left him in there. He has been crowing all day, whitch is unusual for him. After doing some reading, I think maybe the hens aren't old enough to have healthy chicks. They had been laying for about 4 weeks, and I read it should be a least 6 weeks. Is that right?

 

[MissPrissy]

Unhealthy chicks is the risk we take when we try to hatch pullet eggs. Some people do it and the results are ok. For others it is a mess in the end. Even with the pullet eggs you can test the fertility and hatchability in an incubator. It is not unheard of for a roo and hens to be genetically incompatable and not producing viable chicks.