Boody Hen calls it quits after 3 weeks!

[chicks4kids]

Oh my goodness!! How terrible for the mama to quit!! Good luck on hatching that little guy and let us know how it goes! Too bad you just can't close her in a vented box or something so that she HAS to sit on it. Glad to hear you have another option for helping out that chick!

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Big Mama K]

I keep walking over and looking in the incubator...this is driving me crazy!! Anyway, I was thinking. I can rig Hannah's nesting box up so that she has to stay in it! So, do I make Hannah sit on it or leave it in the incubator?

 

[Tara Rose]

Good question and here is more. Do you want her to raise the baby or where you planning on brooding yourself? Will she take care of the chick? I hatched some myself recently and let some hens hatch some. They took the babies out and predators got all but one within a weeks time.

 

[Big Mama K]

I think it would be easier for me to raise the baby. If I let her keep it I would have to rig her up a pen away from the other chickens for a month. I think she would take care of it! But with her giving up being so close...I dunno! This is Hannah's first time that she has been allowed to hatch babies! The previous owners never let her sit on them. Plus, this is their second summer so they are young birds! But If I raise the little one, it is going to be all alone!! I have some neighbors done the road that have chickens, I thought about stopping and seeing it the have any chicks I could buy! If I let her raise the baby could I leave her with the rest of the chickens? They are very gentle! Right now there are two Dove fledglings that have fell out of their nest and have been staying with my chickens for the last several days! They just walk around with them. Do you think that they would treat chicks the same?

 

[chicks4kids]

If you decide to rig it so she HAS to sit on it, try and make it as dark as possible. This will help to not distract her, whether she wants to sit on it or not, she will just because there's no place to go

 

[Big Mama K]

So, I decided to keep the egg in the incubator instead of making my hen sit on it! SO a couple of hours ago (or so it seems) the chick finally cracked a little of the egg! I keep looking and waiting... My husband says I worse then a kid waiting for Chirstmas! So, how long does this normally take or should I be worried?

 

[suebee]

Sorry to have to tell you this, but it might take until tomorrow! Be patient and don't help it!

 

[Big Mama K]

Ugh, this is killing me! I am so scared that it is dead! I'm already upset, disappointed and blaming myself! God, sometimes being an animal lover really sucks!! Well, I guess I'll just wait and see! I'll try to be optimistic and if it does die, I'll try not to cry...to much!

 

[Big Mama K]

Plus, I haven't heard it make any noises...ahhh! I have no patience!!

 

[silkieroo]

Good luck! Just don't open the incubator! I know its tempting!