Broody Hatched eggs but won't leave the nest to take care of chicks

[dacdeihl]

YourLinkGoesHere I have an Isa Brown still sitting on a clutch with two chicks hatched. I put her in a seperate area with hick food today seeing the first chucked hatched is looking weak. The second chick came today. Was this the best thing to do? Should I remove the oth eggs? Are they going to be able to find the water and food?

 

[NC29mom]

Chicks are born with a yolk sac, which provides them with 2-3 days worth of food & water. This allows time for eggs to hatch over a few days. I don't think you should worry yet. They will be ok. She will eventually get up and care for them.

My chicks were mailed from a hatchery to me on a wednesday. I got them friday. THey had nothing to eat or drink for the trip. They were still all alive when I got them. They drank good and ate good though, I will tell you that! The yolk sac served them all well.


Good luck and congrats!

 

[TurtleChick]

how long has it been since the first egg hatched? i'd give her a day or two before you take the other eggs away - the peeps will be fine. if you're worried, you could try to set some food and water up close by where the hatched out peeps can get to it...

my girls probably sat for a full 36-48 or so hours after their first babies hatched before they got up and out of the nest. and they didn't spend long off of the nest at a time for the first several days - just gradually increasing outings for their babies.

good luck and have fun!

 

[dacdeihl]

Yesterday I moved the broody to a large enclosed area with her two chicks and unhatched eggs. The space has food and water. The first chucked is four days old and the second is two days old. I'm going to give her two more days with the eggs and take them away. I checked on them this morning and they seem to be doing well. She just is so over focused on sitting I must don't think she knows what to do. This hen actually took over the nest of a barred rock that left the nest after one chicked hatched and that hen is a great mom, even protecting her baby from everybody in the coop for several days. I also put her and baby in a seperate space b/c the chick food I had out was being eatin by everyone. So time will tell. I also have a dark brahma who has been sitting for five weeks and finally a chicked hatched and she threw it out of the nest! It ended it up dying from it's wounds. Even the other two would not take the chick. Thanks for the info, I knew about the internal yolk but didn't know how much it lasted. Enough for shipping I knew.

 

[dacdeihl]

I walked out to gather up my hens extra eggs and there was another baby chick! Just hatched to, she is still wet. I guess I need to wait a few days to gather the eggs.

 

[BeccaB00]

The mom normally stays in the nest with her chicks for about 3 days after they hatch. So nothing to worry about.

 

[dacdeihl]

She has been sitting now a week after the first egg hatched. I put some food right in front of her this morning and she started to eat up and two of her babies followed her lead. The newest chick has paisty butt so daily checks are now a added chore. They are all barred rock chicks being raised by a Isa Brown.

 

[Happy Chooks]

It sounds like the eggs were not all set under her at the same time. Therefore, you are having a staggered hatch. Putting the food and water by the nest is a good idea. Hopefully she can take care of the chicks that way.

 

[dacdeihl]

Sadly I found the pasty butt chick dead last night , great new with that... Two more eggs hatched yesterday. A barred rock and a yellow chick. Mom is doing better now that she has food right in front of her. Going to pit water closer to her today.

 

[BeccaB00]

you may need to do somthing with the eggs she is setting on to give the hatched chicks a better chance.