- Sep 23, 2013
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Hi guys
We have chickens for about 2 years, we have this one hen who has been sitting on eggs on and off for months with no chicks been born so she began sitting on eggs a few weeks ago and we just left her to sit on them and didn't really think much about it we just said she will get up when she is ready n we will throw the eggs away.
Then this morning my other half went to let the chickens out of the coop and there was 3 chicks walking around!!
As were new to having baby chicks were kind of at a loss as to what to do now!
we want to have the hen rear them we know they need special chick feed and a shallow water bowl but is there anything else we need?
we don't have any heat lamps in the coop although its not very cold here yet (eg 10.30am and 19 degrees) will they be ok without the heat lamp?
Also maybe im being silly but i was expecting to see these small skinny bald pink chicks went to have a look and we have lovely fluffy chicks walking around the coop making noise surely they couldn't have hatched overnight! Could i be right in thinking that they hatched maybe 2-3 days ago but were still under the chicken thats why we didn't see them before now?
And on a final note there is also another chicken sitting in the next laying box to the chicken that has just hatched she is sitting there around the same time as the other chicken there is a broken bloody shell in front of her yet we havnt seen any chicks and anytime we go near her to try move her to see whats happening she goes mental. should we just bite the bullet and move her to see if there is any chicks there 2 or just leave her be for now
Sorry about such a long post and so many questions just excited but nervous aswell.
We have chickens for about 2 years, we have this one hen who has been sitting on eggs on and off for months with no chicks been born so she began sitting on eggs a few weeks ago and we just left her to sit on them and didn't really think much about it we just said she will get up when she is ready n we will throw the eggs away.
Then this morning my other half went to let the chickens out of the coop and there was 3 chicks walking around!!
As were new to having baby chicks were kind of at a loss as to what to do now!
we want to have the hen rear them we know they need special chick feed and a shallow water bowl but is there anything else we need?
we don't have any heat lamps in the coop although its not very cold here yet (eg 10.30am and 19 degrees) will they be ok without the heat lamp?
Also maybe im being silly but i was expecting to see these small skinny bald pink chicks went to have a look and we have lovely fluffy chicks walking around the coop making noise surely they couldn't have hatched overnight! Could i be right in thinking that they hatched maybe 2-3 days ago but were still under the chicken thats why we didn't see them before now?
And on a final note there is also another chicken sitting in the next laying box to the chicken that has just hatched she is sitting there around the same time as the other chicken there is a broken bloody shell in front of her yet we havnt seen any chicks and anytime we go near her to try move her to see whats happening she goes mental. should we just bite the bullet and move her to see if there is any chicks there 2 or just leave her be for now
Sorry about such a long post and so many questions just excited but nervous aswell.