Today is day 26. Broody chicken did not hatch any eggs on Day 21.
Eggs started hatching naturally on Day 23. I don't know if all the hatching took days or hours. I only saw one chick on Day 23 so I thought this particular hatch was taking place over days, not hours.
This is the count so far:
1 egg broken open too early by mama or by my other hen.
1 baby found dead halfway under the mother.
1 baby found dead under a pile of eggs.
2 baby chicks living
5 eggs left
Mama appears to still be trying to sit on the remaining eggs.
I have observed the two baby chicks go to a dish and drink, so I know they have found water. Food is also near by.
Of the 5 remaining eggs:
2 sound like water sloshing around if you gently shake them. A flashlight reveals a dark mass with an air bubble that moves around the top of the egg no matter which way you roll it.
3 eggs sound like they have something solid in them if you gently shake them.
I do not have the option of brooding them my self. It is going to be the mama or nobody.
What do I do? Is the mama crushing her chicks while trying to hatch eggs? Are the sloshy eggs dead and ready to be discarded?
I think these are my choices:
1) Throw out all 5 eggs hoping the mama stops trying to hatch them
2) Throw away the sloshy eggs to make more room
3) Throw away the eggs that sound like they have a solid mass on them
4) Do nothing and hope the two remaining chicks survive without my assistance
Eggs started hatching naturally on Day 23. I don't know if all the hatching took days or hours. I only saw one chick on Day 23 so I thought this particular hatch was taking place over days, not hours.
This is the count so far:
1 egg broken open too early by mama or by my other hen.
1 baby found dead halfway under the mother.
1 baby found dead under a pile of eggs.
2 baby chicks living
5 eggs left
Mama appears to still be trying to sit on the remaining eggs.
I have observed the two baby chicks go to a dish and drink, so I know they have found water. Food is also near by.
Of the 5 remaining eggs:
2 sound like water sloshing around if you gently shake them. A flashlight reveals a dark mass with an air bubble that moves around the top of the egg no matter which way you roll it.
3 eggs sound like they have something solid in them if you gently shake them.
I do not have the option of brooding them my self. It is going to be the mama or nobody.
What do I do? Is the mama crushing her chicks while trying to hatch eggs? Are the sloshy eggs dead and ready to be discarded?
I think these are my choices:
1) Throw out all 5 eggs hoping the mama stops trying to hatch them
2) Throw away the sloshy eggs to make more room
3) Throw away the eggs that sound like they have a solid mass on them
4) Do nothing and hope the two remaining chicks survive without my assistance
