Broody mom getting off nest too often with early chick?

[eknielsen]

Hi! I’m currently hatching my first eggs under my black australorp. She went broody and I got 6 olive egger eggs from FB marketplace to put under her. Everything was going great until we had an early chick on Thursday evening, which puts it at just barely day 18. That chick is doing great, but now that 3 days have gone by (this evening the official day 21 mark) she’s been up and around with her chick. Not for long periods of time, but several times per day and long enough for the eggs to no longer feel warm to the touch sometimes. I’m in Austin so the lowest it’s been here is 61 F, but I’m worried they won’t hatch if she keeps getting up.

I have water and food easily accessible from the nesting box. Should I try to improvise an incubator or should I just let it play out? No external pips in the other 5 eggs yet but I have felt movement in a couple and I’m terrible at candling such dark eggs so no help there haha.

Thanks for reading my nervous rambling, I’d love to hear your opinions and suggestions!

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

Don’t improvise an incubator. If you had a commercial one, I would suggest you use it but I think you’ll be alright. Good luck!

 

[eknielsen]

Don’t improvise an incubator. If you had a commercial one, I would suggest you use it but I think you’ll be alright. Good luck!

Thank you!