brooding chickens

[Mathews2015]

I have a chicken that is brooding and at one time she had about 15 eggs under her, there is a second chicken that is also trying to lay in the same nest, almost like they are sharing responsibilities but now there are only 9 eggs under her. I thought about snakes and have looked every day to see if I find one but so far, have not. Is this normal for two chickens to lay on the same set of eggs? and what other suggestions do you have for the eggs missing?

Confused!
Danna

 

[St3v3n31922]

if one of your chickens are brooding and is just staying there i would recommend just to move it to a separated place that’s dark and quiet are the eggs fertilized? if they are not you can take the eggs out and that would most likely solve your problem

 

[Mathews2015]

if one of your chickens are brooding and is just staying there i would recommend just to move it to a separated place that’s dark and quiet are the eggs fertilized? if they are not you can take the eggs out and that would most likely solve your problem

Once the chick has hatched, she keeps falling out of the nest, I am afraid that one of the other hens or the rooster will hurt them, what do I need to do?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So the eggs were not all set to hatch on the same day? When we had a chicken go broody, we took six eggs and marked them with a Sharpie all over with a big black X so we would know those were hers. We looked under her every day and removed any additional eggs. When her first egg pipped we took her and the eggs and moved them to a safe place in another building, on the floor, with nesting material. By doing all this she did not have to choose between her unhatched eggs and her newly hatched chicks. Nor was there danger of the chicks falling out of the nest where they would chill and die or be killed by the other chickens.

My advice to you is to remove the hatchlings to a brooder and hand raise them as you would day-old chicks and move the hen with her eggs to a safe place. As the eggs hatch, put them in the brooder. Can you candle them to see if they are viable?

 

[Mathews2015]

So the eggs were not all set to hatch on the same day? When we had a chicken go broody, we took six eggs and marked them with a Sharpie all over with a big black X so we would know those were hers. We looked under her every day and removed any additional eggs. When her first egg pipped we took her and the eggs and moved them to a safe place in another building, on the floor, with nesting material. By doing all this she did not have to choose between her unhatched eggs and her newly hatched chicks. Nor was there danger of the chicks falling out of the nest where they would chill and die or be killed by the other chickens.

My advice to you is to remove the hatchlings to a brooder and hand raise them as you would day-old chicks and move the hen with her eggs to a safe place. As the eggs hatch, put them in the brooder. Can you candle them to see if they are viable?

Thank you! I have put the one that was on the ground in a pen with hay, feed and water and will put her under a heat lamp tonight.

 

[Mathews2015]

if one of your chickens are brooding and is just staying there i would recommend just to move it to a separated place that’s dark and quiet are the eggs fertilized? if they are not you can take the eggs out and that would most likely solve your problem

yes, the eggs are fertile and not hatching at the same time.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you! I have put the one that was on the ground in a pen with hay, feed and water and will put her under a heat lamp tonight.

Okay, good luck and be careful with that heat lamp and the hay. Can you get a different kind of bedding for it, maybe some pine shavings? Or use puppy pee pads instead? Not newspaper, it's too slippery.

 

[Mathews2015]

Okay, good luck and be careful with that heat lamp and the hay. Can you get a different kind of bedding for it, maybe some pine shavings? Or use puppy pee pads instead? Not newspaper, it's too slippery.

I have the shavings and I only use the lamp at night when I bring her in the house.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have the shavings and I only use the lamp at night when I bring her in the house.

Wonderful thanks. Lol, I can't help it that I worry! I guess I'm just a big ol' mother hen myself!