4 new chicks

[cajun1]

My broody hatched 4 chicks overnight. I am wondering how soon I need to get chick starter in with them?

 

[Monkeybean415]

Does she still have eggs under her? Some eggs will take longer to hatch. Give her a day or two to sit on the rest. Newly hatched chicks don't need to eat for a few days- they still have the nutrients from the egg. Id put food and water in with them and your broody will show them where it is when they need it.

 

[cajun1]

Thank You. I'll have to check, she was sitting on 5.

 

[cajun1]

I just went out to feed & water. When I got to her coop, I noticed she wasn't on her nest. I saw her in the corner of the coop so I checked her nest. She still has 5 eggs in her nest. (Now I know why my daily egg count has gone downhill). Anyway, they felt somewhat cold, but I left them in there hoping she'll continue to sit. If she doesn't go back to the nest, I guess the eggs are trash? I don't have another broody hen.

 

[Monkeybean415]

It's possible she left because they weren't developing. You could try candling them to see if any are viable or listen and see if you hear chirping. Sometimes broodies abandon perfectly good eggs though. Unless you have an incubator as back up though or can put something together in a cardboard box for a couple days it's unlikely she'll return to them

 

[Monkeybean415]

Have you candled them at all throughout the last few weeks? It's possible some of them didn't develop very far. Mine hatched 5 out of 10 and the ones that didn't hatch i candled and only saw the yolk so didn't develop at all.

 

[cajun1]

Until yesterday, there were other hens in the coop laying their eggs. She is now the only one in there now with her chicks. The other day she was sitting on 5. Now, she has 4 chicks for sure, hopefully 5 , (I haven't been able to get a full count) , and there's still 5 eggs. She's been stealing them I think. As for candle, no I haven't.

 

[Monkeybean415]

I'm guessing you didn't mark her original 5? Do you have a rooster or did you get fertile eggs from somewhere else? If these are fertile eggs and she was incubating them for an unknown amount of time they're probably all at different stages of development so unless you want to incubate them yourself they're likely done. If you don't have a rooster and they're infertile they might be fine if she's only been sitting on them a day. Congrats on your new chicks!

 

[cajun1]

Thank You. There is a rooster so the eggs were fertile. I'll wait until morning to deal with the eggs, just in case she changes her mind. I was out there a few minutes ago and she is nowhere near the eggs, so I think I have my answer.