Broody hen's eggs are pipping-bad news on the first one though

[logansmommy7]

So we have our broody sitting for the first time since she has been with us. She has been faithful and the day has arrived. Well-the first one we witnessed trying to break free...we had to go somewhere so we left...along the way my sis called (she stopped by to check on it) and said it was out, alive, but breathing heavily and not upright...well-we came home to a sad case...dead. We can hear the others pecking...are they all gonna die? I've never done this before. Maybe the shell was too hard? Our brown eggers are typically very hard shells...what do do? I was SOOO sad! Could the mom squish it?

 

[Sequin]

Our first one died too. But now we have 2 strong chicks already hatched and more on the way. Have a little faith - they will make it.

 

[pgpoultry]

My two rookies both had a couple of deaths before they had live chicks. It is likely that the others will be OK,
Good Luck,
Sandie

 

[logansmommy7]

Well-we knew we wouldn't have a great hatch rate to start-we didn't really know what we were doing to start-but we have three babies this morning. I have moved them to a solo location (she freaked when we tried to move the eggs along with her at the beginning of the broody-so we left her in the coop) and she has settled down. She has mothered chicks before but we haven't! So-here we go-hopefully the babies will do well. They are VERY cute! I didn't think anything could be cuter than the fuzzies I got at the TSC but these are just a wee bit smaller and absolutely NO feathers...just down...I'll post pics if I can get them. I think when we decide to do this again we will do better with our hatch rate...we had about 5 that didn't hatch-and we have one roo to 12 hens.

 

[Sequin]

My new mama suffocated one of her chicks last night. Makes me so mad. They were fine before bed last night, and by this morning one was dead. So I took the newly hatched chick and the other live chick and put them in a brooder in the house. I think mama hen is getting really tired. I candled the remaining eggs and saw movement in some of them, so I put them all back under her and will let her hatch them and then I will just have to take them away. I'm not going to risk her smothering another chick.

You are soo right, these chicks Are way cuter than any other chick I've seen. Such downy fluffy cute chicks. And they bonded soo quickly with me, I hope to keep that up. I am soo in love with the ones we have. Looking forward to seeing your pictures!!!