Broody problems // Ant nest ??

[Broody Bist]

My broody has been sitting for 20 days now. This morning, we found a pretty yellow and brown chick sitting under her. Of course, we were beyond excited, but there are two more eggs that have yet to even pip.
She doesn’t show any signs of leaving right now, but if the eggs don’t pip soon, will she get up and leave them?

And if she does, do the chicks still have a chance at hatching without an incubator? (had to throw mine away last year)

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Also, there is an ant nest next to where Belle is sitting.. so far they haven’t did any damage that I know of, but could they hurt the baby? And how do I get rid of them without hurting my chickens?



Thanks guys!

 

[chickenmama109]

Yes the ants can hurt the baby they could kill her and of they are sitting right next to them they may have been on the mother or the baby already I had the same problem and I got permathrin you can get it in powder or liquid I got the liquid all you need to do is move the hen and the eggs with her and spray it but you have to be very careful when moving a broody she could not want help eggs or chick any more if you move her I'm not sure if you can spray it around the chick but first you should check them over and look for ants they could also eat the eggs has well I've only used this once and it works but after a couple weeks you will have to spray again the ants could come back I hope I helped I did not have a chick when I sprayed all I had was a broody with three eggs but I did move the eggs and since you are under lock down it may not be a good Idea to move her but I don't know if a chick can have it on her sorry I could not help more hopefully someone with more info comes

 

[Broody Bist]

Thank you for your reply @thewolf1039

UPDATE

I’ve been checking on them frequently, and so far the ants don’t seem to be bothering Belle and the eggs at all.
Also, another chick hatched! I have no idea how, it must have been SUPER fast. It wasn’t showing any signs of pipping or rocking or ANYTHING, but I come out there an hour later and a baby chick is under there! I’m so excited, one more to go

 

[dotporter]

If you really want to get rid of those ants, you can put a tablespoon of dishsoap into some water. Boil it. Pour the boiling water very carefully onto the nest (edit, ANT nest, not chicken nest). How much water you use depends on how big the nest is.

However, my little bantam chickens love to snack on ants. I somehow got an infestation of ants in my potato plants. I marched out one morning to deal with it. Just to find that my little roo had already cleared out the entire infestation.

Congratulations on the babies!!

 

[chickenmama109]

Thank you for your reply @thewolf1039

UPDATE

I’ve been checking on them frequently, and so far the ants don’t seem to be bothering Belle and the eggs at all.
Also, another chick hatched! I have no idea how, it must have been SUPER fast. It wasn’t showing any signs of pipping or rocking or ANYTHING, but I come out there an hour later and a baby chick is under there! I’m so excited, one more to go

That's is great with my broody the only egg that made it to lock down was one and I heard the eggs chirping then after a hour or two she was out and getting fluffy hopefully your other egg hatched soon good luck. Here they are the mother's name is Trixie and the baby is pixie

 

[Broody Bist]

Thanks guys! We can feel the chick pecking from inside the last egg, hopefully she'll be out soon. @thewolf1039 your chickens are so cute

 

[chickenmama109]

Thanks guys! We can feel the chick pecking from inside the last egg, hopefully she'll be out soon. @thewolf1039 your chickens are so cute

Thank you