Chicks pipping - mother hen left - I have no BATOR!

[Alexis]

I know there's a HUGE section on hatching eggs and all sorts of information on incubators but I don't OWN an incubator. I found momma hen running around out in the yard far away from her nest with one chick hatched this morning, one with it's beak showing and four more not even pipped yet. I put them all in a small plastic (gladware type) container with a heating pad under it and I've started a heat lamp on top. What can I do to successfully hatch the rest of my eggs???
Oh, I also tossed in a wet paper towel for humidity...

I just need quick help in a quick hurry - what's best for these little eggs right now until the momma hen gets her head back on straight?

 

[fasbendera]

My dad used to lock up hens, box with lid of some sort - make a frame or move her into a nest box and block her in. It always worked. How long has she been off?
Not everyone goes to recent posts. If you don't get more replies how about moving to incubating and hatching.

 

[redhen]

yeah...can you lock her in a dog crate or something small with the eggs so she has to sit on them??

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Yep, I would do just what they suggested.

 

[Alexis]

Good news, the egg with the beak sticking out has fully hatched. We all got to crowd around and see it!

We gathered up the Momma hen from out in a hail storm (haha!!), put her in a crate with just straw and now she's going bonkers and kicking it all over the place looking for food. I'm tempted to put a couple eggs under her, and just cover the crate so she's in the dark but darn it I don't want to be moving them around any more than absolutely necessary. I'm keeping the chicks in the plastic container for their own safety at the moment.

This poor hen has been broody for darn near 2 months, so I am wondering if the chick that hatched early this morning made her think her job was done (it's her first time setting). She lost the other two batches of eggs, and this was her third try. I bet she's very hungry because she's eating like she hasn't eaten in months too!

I sure appreciated the quick replies... and I welcome more thoughts on what to do with these eggs that haven't hatched yet.
~Alexis

 

[fldiver97]

You are still keeping them warm I guess as you described earlier, right. Maybe when momma hen has her crop full and calms down you can sneak the eggs back under her so she can finish 'her job'. If the eggs are viable, she should hopefully be aware of the chicks in there and stay put. Then you have to get her other chicks back with her too, I'd guess. Hopefully she will settle down again. Keeping fingers, toes and wings crossed here....

 

[Alexis]

I tried putting the momma hen in a cage with just a couple of the remaining eggs, and left her in the dark. Now, one of the other eggs in our make-shift incubator is making noise! No pips though, so I'm leaving it there... then, I went outside and Momma hen is just standing there in the dark and her eggs are getting cold. Gah!!! So, I moved them back into the house right away. *sigh*

At least I've got 2 alive and kicking - Which was more than we were counting on a few days ago when my son accidentally brought the whole batch in as he decided to "help" me gather eggs!!