advice needed

[chickmamato7]

I have 3 eggs hatching under a broody hen in a nest box 4' off the ground. One chick is out and she's keeping it warm & safe in the back of the box. I think the others have pipped, but she won't let me see for sure. I can feel that they are moving and pecking the shell & I've heard them chirping.

When should I move the nest to a safer location? I feel like I should wait for at least the 2nd chick to hatch, but I don't want to wait too long and risk them falling. My hen is an inexperienced Crevecoeur. Any advice?

 

[TOR]

I have 3 eggs hatching under a broody hen in a nest box 4' off the ground. One chick is out and she's keeping it warm & safe in the back of the box. I think the others have pipped, but she won't let me see for sure. I can feel that they are moving and pecking the shell & I've heard them chirping.

When should I move the nest to a safer location? I feel like I should wait for at least the 2nd chick to hatch, but I don't want to wait too long and risk them falling. My hen is an inexperienced Crevecoeur. Any advice?

Maybe you can put something on the fron to keep chicks from falling out and let her finish.

 

[Riv-6]

I would worry if you moved her that she would say forget it with the rest of the eggs This happened with my mother-in-law after two of the chicks had hatched, she moved the nest and the broody didn't want to sit on the eggs anymore.

Hopefully some others with experience can jump in and give some advise!

 

[chickmamato7]

I left her alone and wedged a kitty litter box filled with cedar chips under the opening of the nest box. That way if a chick tries to follow her out when she bathrooms, it will fall only a few inches onto softness.The second chick hatched, so only one more to go!

 

[chickmamato7]

So it turns out that the other 2 eggs did not hatch as I thought. Mom just moved them to the back of the nest box to keep me from messing with her babies. The chick that hatched yesterday is getting active & the other 2 eggs show no pips or movement any longer. I tried to move the nest to a better location after the baby started approaching the opening & mom made a broody poo mess in the nest box. She won't leave the chick even to use the bathroom & I'm worried the chick will be needing fluids soon.

The move didn't go well. Mom freaked out and would not sit on the new nest even with the chick chirping loudly for her. She just paced frantically and tried to fly out. After 5 min, I cleaned out the messy nest box out and returned them to it. Mom and chick have calmed down, but I still don't know what to do moving forward.

I could take the chick away and put it in the brooder with my 3 Polish chicks that arrived on Thurs, or I could just leave things alone and monitor the chick for signs of stress and hunger. It's probably too late for option #3, but I could replace the eggs with my Polish chicks in the night (they are not much bigger than the chick that hatched, just more feather development).

Should I give up on the eggs that have not hatched (day 22- mailed eggs, no pips yet), or give it another few days? They were moving yesterday and I could hear tapping, but now I don't hear or feel anything at all.

 

[TOR]

I have broody got off nest and brought eggs in to incubator now 1 hatched tonight I am going to put it with her. Well there is 2 hens sharing the 3 babies now.

Can you tqke the eggs and put them in a incubator?

 

[chickmamato7]

I'm pretty sure she would freak out & I don't see any signs of life in the eggs right now. The chick is still looking healthy & alert, so I'm just gonna let nature take it's course with the eggs & keep a watchful eye on the chick.

I've been reading old posts about how to deal with nest boxes off the ground. I'm going to fill a large masonry tub with soft bedding to place on the ground below the nest box and let mom handle things. If I notice any decline in the chick's health, then I will get her hydrated and add her to the brooder chicks. At least that's the plan right now...

 

[TOR]

Back in the 80s I raised chickens for fun and meat. I used a farm type chicken coop pretty fair size. Inside was nest boxes 5 wide by 5 to 6 foot tall.
I remember broodys in there 4 ft off the ground and I had straw on the floor. They got out all on their own.
I have nest box now 2 foot off ground and they get out on their own. I don't mess with them. They sit at night with the chicks on the floor and been frost warnings at night.
I have not separated the 2 hens and chicks with rest birds, so far okay.

 

[chickmamato7]

The chick fell out of the nest box (found it chirping on the ground), but seems okay. Mom was frantic and squawking between the eggs in the nest box and the chick on the ground. Luckily I was nearby to place the chick back and add a small barrier at the opening, which provides just enough space to allow mom out, but not the chick.

I am still feeling worried that mom doesn't seem to have a plan for feeding her chick. I have food and electrolyte water available, but mom is very protective now that she fell & doesn't let the poor chick get very far from beneath her. If things don't improve soon, I will need to remove the eggs or the chick.

Which way should I go?

 

[chickmamato7]

Update: mom & chick are doing well. Mom comes off the nest to bathroom now and the chick is eating and drinking with the safety partition working to prevent falls & keep the other hens from getting too close.

I heard pecking again from one egg last night, but all is quiet today. Do hatches usually go on this long? They were all shipped together and set on the same day. The first to hatch on Thursday (Day 20) did not make it and seemed premature (eyes sealed shut, egg sac attached, thin & weak). Mom had squashed it into the hay and it was barely alive when I found it. 2nd chick hatched on Fri (Day 21) and is perfect & healthy. Two more eggs were showing movement and pecking on day 20, but have not progressed at all. No external pip-- though, as I already mentioned, I heard some gentle pecking from one egg last night.