Baby getting to water in broody hen box?

[laura8700]

Our broody hen hatched a baby two days ago. Today we brought down a smaller waterer so mama can show the baby the ropes. Then we had a duh moment. The hen is still in her box with a few more eggs and when she hopped out to get water the little baby was still in the box because the sides were too high? Will it mess stuff up if we move the mama into a small sided box? She still has a few eggs that the other hens were sneaking to her and I'm
Not really sure when they are due.
I know baby is good for a few days without food/water but
Not sure what to do about moving mama and baby so baby can get out.
Did that make any sense? Lol
Help!

 

[Judy]

She should instinctively abandon the rest of the eggs today, and take her chick out to teach it to eat and drink. It is likely the chick can get out if it wants to, though; you'd be surprised how high they can jump. It may not know to drink or eat, though. If she were mine and did not abandon the other eggs, I would toss them, or put them in an inubator, and take her and the chick off the nest, if necessary. Sometimes instincts aren't perfect; nothing is ever "always" with chickens, lol.

 

[laura8700]

Yea she's still a newbie. The first one that zipped died I think from smothering. The duck eggs she had she quickly kicked to the curb as if she knew they were not chicks. I finished them off in the incubator. This one she has is sooo adorable and she's doing great with it. We will fire up incubator and get humidity high cause I just can't imagine throwing the eggs out.

 

[laura8700]

Im having a hard time with tossing the eggs if they are viable. Just don't think I can go that route, but I need to get mama into the other coop and out of the maternity ward . lol
I thjnk ill just put them in incubator and see what happens. Figures we are going out of town next week so my father in law may have to deal with babies lol

 

[Judy]

I didn't mean to suggest you should toss abandoned eggs, if you have an incubator you can use! It's just that not everyone has an incubator, so may not have a choice.

 

[laura8700]

Ahhh gotcha . I just went and candled the remaining eggs and they were all quitters. Hate to say it but it was a relief. I'm done midwifeing this year.

 

[Judy]

I wonder if mama knew they were quitters.....

 

[laura8700]

They defiantly were not as warm as the other one was prior to hatch. It's as if she turned down her body heat when the baby hatched. .
This has been such a learning experience!!

 

[Aphrael]

I've noticed with the eggs in my incubator, that quitters will cool down WAY faster than still living eggs. Enough so that sometimes I know an egg is dead before even candling, just because it is cooling quickly enough to feel the difference. That could be why they felt cooler to you.