Broodies Killing chicks, Help!

[Diamante]

We have several broody silkies and we kept forgetting to get the eggs out when we fed. There were several eggs with chicks and all of them hatched within the week. We kept looking everyday, twice a day and never found any chicks or eggs pipped. Then one day we found 3 dead chicks, so we took the roo out since he sometimes pecks us, we thought it was him that killed them. The next day there was another dead chick so we knew it was the hens. So we put the roo back. We were gone all day( only came home to sleep and feed the critters) for the week long county fair and never got to take the eggs out again, now we have 11 eggs with chicks some that looked like they may have already died but we couldnt tell for sure. They are too far along for us to just throw them out. We want to bring 2 of the hens in to sit on the eggs so we can watch for the pips. Once they pip we were thinking about putting them in the brooder with the heat light and placing a damp wash cloth over the eggs for moisture, and let them hatch in the brooder. Would that work? We dont have a bator anymore so we cant put them in there. If you have a better idea please let me know. Thanks for any advice.
Lisa

 

[PeepsInc]

The hens are probably fighting over the eggs. Separate one hen in a pet taxi with the eggs. (I move them at night) Then just leave her in there to raise the chicks.

 

[Diamante]

Ok, but what if she kills one when it hatches, would the brooder idea we had work?

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
With all due respect, I would suggest doing some research on broodies and hatching before trying to hatch anymore chicks.
There are many things that can go wrong with broodies. Too many to mention in one posting.
One being chicks not healthy enough to endure the hatching process. Two being one or more broodies not being good mothers.

The one thing about your post that concerns me is your statement "we kept forgetting to get the eggs out when we fed". If you are so busy you can't remember to collect the eggs then perhaps chicken keeping isn't for you. This is not a personal slam it's just sometimes our lifestyle is one that doesn't lend it'self to certain hobbies. (Which reminds me I forgot to cancel my membership to the Y. darn! I'm just too busy to get there. No sense paying for something I don't have time to use. Oh well I have all month.)

Wishing you the best
Rancher

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I have a Mottled Cochin hen that's a horrible mother. After letting her sit on some very expensive eggs(

) is when I found out. The chicks hatched and I found dead babies. I thought sure it was the roo that did it so I removed him and let her hatch some barnyard mixes. Nope, it was her. I don't know why she does it but she does. I've removed her from my breeding program now because I don't want her to pass that along to any of her offspring. I have her parents and her parents aren't like that so who knows why she is.

Good luck!

Laurie

 

[Diamante]

Quote:
With all due respect, I would suggest doing some research on broodies and hatching before trying to hatch anymore chicks.
There are many things that can go wrong with broodies. Too many to mention in one posting.
One being chicks not healthy enough to endure the hatching process. Two being one or more broodies not being good mothers.

The one thing about your post that concerns me is your statement "we kept forgetting to get the eggs out when we fed". If you are so busy you can't remember to collect the eggs then perhaps chicken keeping isn't for you. This is not a personal slam it's just sometimes our lifestyle is one that doesn't lend it'self to certain hobbies. (Which reminds me I forgot to cancel my membership to the Y. darn! I'm just too busy to get there. No sense paying for something I don't have time to use. Oh well I have all month.)

Wishing you the best
Rancher

First off we didnt try to hatch these eggs, Second with being at fair all day and coming home so tired we fell asleep with in minutes, and running late in the morning we didnt have much time to get eggs out this time if we did i wouldve missed shows i was in.
As for saying its not a personal slam it sure seams like it. Im sure we arent the only ones wo have ended up with suprise chicks. The one time we did try to hatch with our broodies nothing happend at all so all of this was a big shock to us.

 

[rancher hicks]

I'm sorry you took it personally.

 

[Diamante]

Quote:
Its hard not to when everytime i ask for help on here i get yelled at by someone. I need help keeping these chicks alive when they hatch. I dont want these to die like the last ones.

 

[ranchhand]

First, I am NOT yelling at you. Please don't take it that way. What I am is confused???

Are these the same eggs from your previous topic on 09/17/2010?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=399483

Now, as to hens killing chicks as they are hatched - it usually happens when hens are inexperienced brooders and they don't have a clue. Sometimes you get a mean one anyway. They suck. Better to never let then sit on eggs after that's proven.

About they only thing you can do is watch vigilantly and take the chicks to the brooder right after the hatch. OR collect the eggs and make sure the hens don't have the opportunity to brood eggs.

If you have a lot of activities at the time, get someone to watch them.

rancher hicks is a realist, as am I. You might want to think why you get yelled at..... sometimes it's because a post is very confusing and misunderstood, sometimes because the facts change, sometimes it's because someone is repeating mistakes we think they should have thought out by then. It's not personal, nothing on the anonymous internet is.

Except I see no instances in your posts where you "got yelled at"?

 

[Diamante]

no they are different eggs. Like i said before we were barely home and didnt have time to do anything but to put food and water in the cages and leave. I dont understand what part of my post would be confusing, i told you the story and asked if our idea would work or not.