Calling ALL hatching experts! Delayed time getting out of the shell?

[Beekissed]

I have a broody who is hatching out a set of chicks right now. She started this yesterday and I noticed one chick pipped and seeming to be pretty lively. When I checked today, the same chick is still in his shell, but still peeping and making very, very slow progress.

My questions are these:

1. How long can/should it take and is this delay significant?

2. Will this slow chick be deformed or sickly due to this weak emergence from the shell?

3. Is it harmful to help him a little or just remove the shell altogether?

4. Four other eggs show no pips or movement~how long should I leave them there?

5. Will the broody finally give up on these eggs and abandon them?

6. If so, how long does that usually take? Is there a typical time frame in which, in your experience, the hen will just get up and start tending her family?

7. While she is still sitting on the remaining eggs, how/where are the chicks getting fluids and nutrients?

8. I know they can survive for up to 3-4 days without anything, but when should I start to intervene if she doesn't hatch the others soon or abandon them, whichever may come first?

Thanks for any help in this matter! First set of homemade chicks, you know!

 

[magikchick]

If the eggs are under a hen then she knows best. She will sit the eggs until they are done. Just leave her alone and it will be fine.

 

[L*A*G*]

magikchick is right. God made hens do to all the work.

now just kick back, relax, and let the real incubator do the job.

 

[the_eagle69]

she will take care of everything that need to be taken care of.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

My chicks are due today and we had a pip yesterday but today it's just GONE

Not sure what happened...if they ate it or what. Good luck to you! I hope yours hatches soon. The hen does seem to know best. I have my broody in with the rest of the flock and I may have made a mistake when it comes to that. Time will tell.

 

[Beekissed]

Well, she is still sitting on four eggs, 4 chicks hatched, but one got outside the nest sometime today and got too cold.....and died. :/Appears the hen does not know best after all.....

This was a very healthy chick and the most active of the 4. Apparently too active.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

AWW poor baby. Well my hen decided to SHARE her chicks with the rest of the hens and they ATE them! I managed to save one chick that was in the process of hatching as I happened to be in the hen house...she was trying to eat it. And I grabbed the last two eggs she was sitting on and put them all in the bator. One is now pipped

And the baby I rescued is ok now. It has a bloody spot on it's back but it's alive and walking now. Poor things! I will never allow this hen to sit again that I know!

 

[Guinea Goonie]

My wild game hen has hatched out 5 chicks so far. She is a wonderful MAMA and this is her first time. Hens and chicks know what they are doing. The hen will take care of the eggs and the hatch lings. She will teach them to eat and drink and she will keep them warm.

I went out to the nursery where we put the hen, her eggs and her little ones today. She is VERY happy and all the little ones are safely under her nice and toasty.

It is truly amazing what chickens have as far as instincts.

 

[LoveMyBirds]

Quote:
I live in an area where it still gets cold also.. I put up a heat lamp right in front of the setting chickens..

If I can get this PIC added, I'll show you a new hatchling today that preferred the heat lamp over momma. I went back down at 8PM and it was gone,, I'm assuming it climbed back to mom..

1st was last Wed. Friday 2nd chick.. today 3rd chick..

I figure the Cold Temps might screw things up.. I really wasn't expecting my Chickens to go broody on me this early..

Here's a clearer PIC of the above PIC to show what I have going here..

 

[Beekissed]

Well, I tossed the remaining eggs...they were full of black goo! Immediately I tossed them she climbed off the nest and started clucking the chicks to the feeder. Makes me wonder if the chicks would have all perished while she tried to sit the remaining eggs.

Glad I intervened! Now she can tend to her live babies and see that they stay in the nest, get to food and water and stay warm.