Broody hen - expected hatch date May 21 ~ anyone else?

[ChicknCharm]

Hello Everyone!
I have bad news, our broody hen went off her eggs all night. She returned to them this morning, her little door closed on her and she could not get back in her broody box. It has been about 12 hours. It is warm and humid here, my daughter said the eggs felt warm when she touched them. She is back on the eggs and has not tossed any out yet. I did another post on this seperately, but trying to figure what to do. Is there a good chance they may be OK but hatch late? Should I candle them tonight? Any advice or experience to share? Oh, I hate to think we have lost them. Saturday would be day 21, so this is day 18. They should be pretty big????

HELLLLPPP if you can. THANKS.

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

Quote:
I would put her on the eggs, make sure she cant get away from them and be locked out, (I have mine in a extra large dog crate) and hope for the best!

Today was SUPPOSED to be hatch day for us, but ours started hatching yesterday, I have 5 dry and chirping under her, 3 eggs yet to pip or anything so I am happy with 5 but would LOVE it if all 8 hatch, that way I wont have to worry about tossing eggs too soon!

 

[calicokat]

I wouldn't lose hope yet if they were still warm. It just might be that your weather kept them warm enough until she got back. Sending healthy hatching vibes your way!!

And congrats on your five so far!!

My 10 backup chicks arrived in the mail last night (no, really, they called me at 2:37 am to come get them,

) So they are in the brooder at home. Waiting on what will likely be one chick to hatch Fri./Sat. and then I'll slip them in with her - and likely bring them all in the house -- I think 10 or 11 will be to many for a little banty to keep warm, so she might appreciate the warm light to help.

Keep us posted everyone - and pix of the new babies would be cool too!

 

[ChicknCharm]

Well, we also had four guinea eggs in the incubator, and I did not give them much hope. We had a messy hatch last weekend and I kept opening, closing the incubator. Seemed the humidity was too high...anyway, I wasn't hopeful for these strange eggs. If it takes 28 days to hatch guineas, they were due this weekend. I was going to lock down tonight. So, the eggs are still on the TOP shelf of mini-fridge bator and below them is a deep dish of water for humidity. The top shelf they are on has large square holes in it.

Would you know, two hatched today and fell through the squares in the shelving and missed the drowning pool. They seem just fine...but so small! They look like itty bitty chicken chicks.

So, I wanted to share a good luck story since our hen was off her eggs so long.

BEST OF LUCK everyone.

 

[SuziQ991]

WOOOO HOOOO 2 chicks so far out of 8!!! Can't wait until tomorrow. I also have a new shed coming tomorrow for my new coop! It is a 10x12 garden shed. Tomorrow is going to be a FUN day!

 

[Cowgirl71]

Day 19, and two Guinea keets have hatched already! Two down, 46 to go.

One more's gonna hatch any minute now, and there's several others that will probably hatch by morning.

The only reason they're hatching so early that I can think of is that it took awhile to accumulate that many eggs in the nest, so the sun/Guineas laying eggs warmed them so that some started developing... Of the two that have hatched, one's "pearl," and one's "pied" (pearl with a white chest)! They're so tiny and cute!

Best of luck to everyone and their hatching!

 

[Cowgirl71]

Where is everybody?!?!?!

I now have 12 cute little Guinea keats, and many more on the way!

How's everybody's hatches doing???

 

[SuziQ991]

Well out of my 8 eggs two hatched yesterday and 3 today. I think LOL. I really don't want to move my hen and stress her out. I have seen a total of five pop their heads out. 4 of them are black. Two are the smallest chicks I have ever seen. Their heads are about the size of marbles! But they look very healthy and my broody is a very good mamma. They did not deliver my shed (new coop) today because of all the rain

. Now I will have to wait until next Wednesday. My new brooder that my DH built is in the garage so I think I will move my hen and her babies in there tomorrow. Right now she is in the coop with the other hens. She is in a rabbit cage. So the brooder will give her lots of extra room. Good idea?

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

Quote:
This is what I am debating on doing this weekend after I give her 3 other eggs a chance to hatch.

 

[Cowgirl71]

19 keats and lots of pips! Three of the keats are lavendar pied, and one's pure white.

The rest are pearl and pearl pied. They are all so cute! One of the eggs pipped and then died though.

So 19 have hatched, 27 to go!