Chirping, Tapping, No Bator, Need some Advice please

[herefordlovinglady]

I have never done anything like this before. And did not know it was going to be so dang stressful. I had a hen go broody on March 18. She is in the coop and DH and I felt we could let her hatch them. Well on April 9 she hatched out 5 baby chicks. there were still about a 12 eggs left on the nest. I picked the eggs up that were left and checked them, out of all the eggs there was one pipping and one I could hear chirping. (I feel there may of been more viable eggs, but did not hear any sounds, other hens were laying on the nest so I have no idea where they were in their process) So with the help of some of my friends, I created the best atmosphere I could -- Using a heat lamp and damp wash clothes, I hatched the one that pipping this morning. Unfortunately about 3 hours later I received a call that she had died. I still have the one egg that was chirping and tapping yesterday evening. DH is keeping the cloth damp on the egg and keeping the light on it -- it's about 80 to 100 degrees. I instructed him to watch out for pipping. The egg seems so hard, it's a brown egg and the shell just "feels" rock hard.

Any direction, advice, or anything would be greatly appreciated. I have had some major support from a few of friends, but I just want to learn as much as possible right now.

 

[artsyrobin]

how is he doing now? is he chirping strongly?

 

[herefordlovinglady]

thanks for checking on the chick.

Well the other egg didn't make it, no sounds of any life throughout the night. But I did go out and recheck the other eggs and found one pipping. I brought it in and put it under the light with the damp cloth and within hours a new chick was hatched. She is doing good--all fluffed out and seems to be fairly strong -- she is so tiny. i double checked the others eggs out in the coop and didn't see or hear anything, some were even starting to smell. I removed all the eggs from the nest.

My plan is to get this chick stronger, eating and drinking and moving about and then place her with the mom and hope it all works out for the best.

I would like to know of anyone's experiences with placing a baby with a mom.

 

[bobbi-j]

It might work if you can slip it under her at night.

 

[herefordlovinglady]

Wow I never would of thought about that. But now that you mention it I remember reading on here to do that. Thanks for helping.