Brooding hens left eggs

[whitneyfarm]

So I have 3 brooding hens that we are letting them sit on some eggs. We have 1 due yesterday and she had 3 eggs hatch so far. But today she isn't sitting on the eggs because the chicks are wanting to be up and about. If I were to take those eggs she isn't sitting on and put them in the incubator: 1. would they hatch and 2. how would I introduce them back to the hen? would she just automatically take them back?

 

[junebuggena]

It's very common for a hen to 'abandon' a nest with eggs still in it after a few eggs have hatched. That is why it is recommended that when you have a hen brooding eggs to also have a back up incubator ready to step in, when she decides she's done. You have about 72 hours to introduce new chicks after the first have hatched to a hen. After that, she will not recognize any new chicks as 'hers'. If you finish incubating the eggs, they may hatch, but candle them first to make sure they are still viable.

 

[whitneyfarm]

How will I know they are still viable? movement?

 

[junebuggena]

Yes, if they are viable, there should be movement.

 

[whitneyfarm]

If she only sitting on them occasionally but not all the time, would you go ahead and pull the eggs to the incubator? I see her off the eggs more than on the eggs.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Yes I would pull them and see what's going on. If they have movement they have a chance of hatching. How long since the first chicks hatched? How many eggs was she sat on? Did she start incubating them all at the same time? Any eggs that could have been added after she started sitting would be behind in development and therefore hatch later. Once she feels hatch is done is, her main priority is to then care for her hatched chicks.

 

[whitneyfarm]

her first chicks hatched yesterday mid-morning i would say. She sat on 9, and I think its very possible that they eggs were not all on the same timeline. I went ahead and pulled them and one has already pipped now since i pulled them 10 minutes ago, which brought along another questions. how long after they hatch should I take them back to mom? should I wait till they dry completely or take them right away?

 

[whitneyfarm]

I also checked all the eggs I brought up and 2 out of the 6 did not have any movement or any change in them at all. The other 4 had hair pockets and what seemed to be movement from them! mom has 3 chicks with her right now.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

You will need to add the chicks back to her at night when she is on the nest and brooding her other chicks. At night she will be more docile and settled. Be prepared though for her not accepting them back. There is no way to tell if she will or will not accept them unless you try. Watch them carefully the next morning to make sure she has accepted them back.

 

[whitneyfarm]

ok awesome! Thank you so much! This is momma Echo with her new babies! We hatched Echo in an incubator last year!