Broody Hen

[kaffee]

One of my chickens has been sitting on the nest for 12 days now ~ she had 4 eggs ~ one of them i found last night was away from the nest and cold ~ I cracked it open but had not been fertilised then this morning I found one had been turffed out of the nest and broken there was a growing chick inside . I felt the other two egg ( laid a couple of days later than the others and although she's sitting on them they don't feel very warm ~ its her first time broody ~ any advice ?

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Just leave them. There's not much you can do. If you feel like she might not stay with them the whole time, you can put the eggs in an incubator and break her.

Also, for future reference, never let eggs be added to the original clutch after the first egg has been in there for a day or so. Staggered hatches aren't good, chicks are often lost. Mark the first eggs and check for fresh eggs daily.

 

[Birdinhand]

also, you might want to build up the edges of the nest to help prevent eggs from falling out.

 

[chickens really]

I separate my Hen and set her up in a Brooder with food and water...I build her a nest out of straw and shavings...She remains in their till the Chicks are two weeks old and then they go back into the flock....