Broody mama on the ground (dirt), day 21, no discernable action

[tess36]

I posted a couple threads on Sunday afternoon/evening about my broody Marans. She went sneaky broody on me under a mower in a pole shed, on bare earth. We did not discover her until this past Thursday.. On Sunday, I actually saw her up eating mid-afternoon. I ran over and counted 12 eggs. About an hour after she returned to roost, I found a dead, wet baby chick (with a gooey egg beside the chick) beside her under the mower. I have suspicions that my head SLW hen (bully and recently suspected of egg eating) came upon the nest while broody was addressing her needs. Members here estimated the chick to be 19-21 days development (there is a post under raising baby chickens with a pic). I think the broody is in lockdown. There is no more foul odor. She appears very pancaked out, I can see no eggs. I've read that babies frequently stay under mom while others hatch out and may not be visible. Should I hear any peeping, or will they be quiet, because they're happy and warm? I placed food and water nearby for mama and her babies yesterday in anticipation. What had not occurred to me until today is, should I give her some bedding material? She is really shoe horned up under that mower and I don't want to freak her out by trying to shove bedding material up in there. Should I just let her be, and what will be will be at this point? If we say chick was 19d development, that still puts today at 21d. How long before I should see some sign of chicks or intervene if I don't? For future reference, is a chick going broody on a clutch on bare earth ok? Thank you everyone, first time nervous Nelly with first time broody.
Edited to include pic of broody mama under mower, her head is visible peeking out at the back of the mower deck on the right hand side.

 

[MGG]

I posted a couple threads on Sunday afternoon/evening about my broody Marans. She went sneaky broody on me under a mower in a pole shed, on bare earth. We did not discover her until this past Thursday.. On Sunday, I actually saw her up eating mid-afternoon. I ran over and counted 12 eggs. About an hour after she returned to roost, I found a dead, wet baby chick (with a gooey egg beside the chick) beside her under the mower. I have suspicions that my head SLW hen (bully and recently suspected of egg eating) came upon the nest while broody was addressing her needs. Members here estimated the chick to be 19-21 days development (there is a post under raising baby chickens with a pic). I think the broody is in lockdown. There is no more foul odor. She appears very pancaked out, I can see no eggs. I've read that babies frequently stay under mom while others hatch out and may not be visible. Should I hear any peeping, or will they be quiet, because they're happy and warm? I placed food and water nearby for mama and her babies yesterday in anticipation. What had not occurred to me until today is, should I give her some bedding material? She is really shoe horned up under that mower and I don't want to freak her out by trying to shove bedding material up in there. Should I just let her be, and what will be will be at this point? If we say chick was 19d development, that still puts today at 21d. How long before I should see some sign of chicks or intervene if I don't? For future reference, is a chick going broody on a clutch on bare earth ok? Thank you everyone, first time nervous Nelly with first time broody.
Edited to include pic of broody mama under mower, her head is visible peeking out at the back of the mower deck on the right hand side.View attachment 2149149

I should think that being broody on the ground would be totally fine. She can keep them nice and warm. Don't intervene, she knows what she's doing. If you do too much at this point, she'll abandon them. I would just leave it as is. It's funny your SLW is that way, when you described her it sounded like you were describing my SLW hen! Bully, egg eater, etc. She's a pain. I recently got a nice rooster though, and she's his favorite. That put her back in check. She still eats eggs, but she's not much of a bully anymore. Anyway, your girl and her chicks will be absolutely fine. Post baby pics in a couple days, I'll be watching! I love the pic.

 

[MGG]

I looked at your pic, I think 19 days for sure.

 

[tess36]

I should think that being broody on the ground would be totally fine. She can keep them nice and warm. Don't intervene, she knows what she's doing. If you do too much at this point, she'll abandon them. I would just leave it as is. It's funny your SLW is that way, when you described her it sounded like you were describing my SLW hen! Bully, egg eater, etc. She's a pain. I recently got a nice rooster though, and she's his favorite. That put her back in check. She still eats eggs, but she's not much of a bully anymore. Anyway, your girl and her chicks will be absolutely fine. Post baby pics in a couple days, I'll be watching! I love the pic.

Thank you replying. As of today, I still see no evidence of any hatched chicks. Broody is still all pancaked out, trance-like, seems committed still; but I hear nothing when I approach and stand there for a few. The dead chick was estimated at 19d on Sunday. That makes today 23d. It has been high humidity and raining/drizzling for four days now. I can't lift her off and look under her where she is. I had to use a flashlight to see the eggs the single time I saw her off of them on Sunday. Could she still hatch out, or do you think something happened a few days back and they all quit. That chick was very wet and the eggshell had lots of goo inside. Thank you again!

I should think that being broody on the ground would be totally fine. She can keep them nice and warm. Don't intervene, she knows what she's doing. If you do too much at this point, she'll abandon them. I would just leave it as is. It's funny your SLW is that way, when you described her it sounded like you were describing my SLW hen! Bully, egg eater, etc. She's a pain. I recently got a nice rooster though, and she's his favorite. That put her back in check. She still eats eggs, but she's not much of a bully anymore. Anyway, your girl and her chicks will be absolutely fine. Post baby pics in a couple days, I'll be watching! I love the pic.

 

[MGG]

Thank you replying. As of today, I still see no evidence of any hatched chicks. Broody is still all pancaked out, trance-like, seems committed still; but I hear nothing when I approach and stand there for a few. The dead chick was estimated at 19d on Sunday. That makes today 23d. It has been high humidity and raining/drizzling for four days now. I can't lift her off and look under her where she is. I had to use a flashlight to see the eggs the single time I saw her off of them on Sunday. Could she still hatch out, or do you think something happened a few days back and they all quit. That chick was very wet and the eggshell had lots of goo inside. Thank you again!

I don't know. Can you get her off so you can candle the eggs? That would be one of the only ways of knowing. See if you can candle. I don't know why she's taking so long. Have hens been adding eggs to the nest?

 

[tess36]

I don't know. Can you get her off so you can candle the eggs? That would be one of the only ways of knowing. See if you can candle. I don't know why she's taking so long. Have hens been adding eggs to the nest?

I don't think any hens added to it. She snuck off and made her clutch up under a zero turn mower in a pole shed. When I saw the eggs Sunday, they were all the dark brown a BCM would lay, and I'm getting eggs from the other two BCM in the coop. I'm not sure I can even get to her bottom to reach up under because of where she is. She is pretty much inaccessible. As my husband said, she picked a pretty strategic spot. Short of actually lifting a several hundred pound mower straight up off her, we can't get to her, which was why we left her there once we found her.

 

[MGG]

I don't think any hens added to it. She snuck off and made her clutch up under a zero turn mower in a pole shed. When I saw the eggs Sunday, they were all the dark brown a BCM would lay, and I'm getting eggs from the other two BCM in the coop. I'm not sure I can even get to her bottom to reach up under because of where she is. She is pretty much inaccessible. As my husband said, she picked a pretty strategic spot. Short of actually lifting a several hundred pound mower straight up off her, we can't get to her, which was why we left her there once we found her.

Oh, ok. I guess I would just leave her then, Idk. It is a pretty good spot, lol. Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed you see some babies soon! Let me know if you get any chicks!

 

[tess36]

Oh, ok. I guess I would just leave her then, Idk. It is a pretty good spot, lol. Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed you see some babies soon! Let me know if you get any chicks!

Thank you, I will. When hubby got home we went out together, and checked on her. He pulled her feathers and leaves out from behind her and didn't even see eggs, but he got growled at and pecked! Lol. He commented that smell he noted to him just smelled like "smelly chicken," not "bad," which I agree with. I wonder if somehow that dead chick was an egg that another chicken was laying on before she settled on hers and she assimilated into her own, and was therefore a little ahead? There were two other eggs near (within a couple feet) of her that I got up at y'all's recommendation on Sunday. One was a BCM egg and one was a God knows who's blue egg (I have two EEs, three Azures, and two Alchemist Blues). I'm almost 100% positive she was broody by 5/4 because I caught her ambling outside the as yet, still locked run that morning She was very disgruntled and "homely" in appearance. She was also very irritable upon seeing me and quickly disappeared as I was releasing everybody else for the day. Now, I know where she took off to. I'll just let her be and keep hoping. Thank you again!

 

[tess36]

I'm just commenting to tie up the thread. I believe hatch date was 5/17-18. We cracked open an egg on 5/22. The contents were decomposing, liquified remains. Based upon the discovery of a fully formed, very wet, dead chick on 5/17, my theory is that humidity got too high at some point shortly before that date and not enough moisture reabsorbed, leading to the death of all chicks in their eggs. Thank you all for your input and help, even if it didn't end up with a happy ending.