Cold eggs!!!

[Markkinley]

Hey guys just looking for some advise my broody hen hatched 4 chicks last night I went to check this afternoon after work. And the rest hadn’t hatched. And we’re cold cold to the touch.
I gathered she had abandoned them and she was nesting at other end of pen with her babies.
So I decided to crack one ope and too my surprise it was alive!! Died shortly after though. So I scooped up the last 4 cold eggs and put them
In my incubator.
any advise?
Do you think they will hatch?

 

[cavemanrich]

Its is worth incubating inside for sure. Nothing to loose at this point.
Sorry you lost one,,, Hatching chicks is a learning curve, and you will always find out new things.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[Markkinley]

Its is worth incubating inside for sure. Nothing to loose at this point.
Sorry you lost one,,, Hatching chicks is a learning curve, and you will always find out new things.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

That’s what I was thinking as well.
thank you for that. Kinda sucked. But spouse if I didn’t I would of just left them in there.
I will let you know how it goes

thank you

 

[Frem16]

In this late stage while the embryos are complete they can survive ! Dont give up on them , they might take one extra day

 

[Markkinley]

In this late stage while the embryos are complete they can survive ! Dont give up on them , they might take one extra day

Awesome thank you, I just looked at them and they all seem to be moving around so that’s a good start. I was wandering if when they hatch will mama take hem them back? Or I have a brooder with 2 week old chicks could they go in there or would they get picked on?

 

[Markkinley]

Its is worth incubating inside for sure. Nothing to loose at this point.
Sorry you lost one,,, Hatching chicks is a learning curve, and you will always find out new things.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

i just checked them under light and all are moving around inside egg. Couldn’t see much. If and when they hatch could they go in brooder with 2 week old chicks or will they need there own? I’m knew to all this sorry

 

[Shezadandy]

If you try to put them with the broody, WAIT until DARK and slip them underneath so she wakes up with them in the morning. The key to that is you need to be able to monitor what happens so you don't wake up to find a tragedy. Stand there a while right after you add them. Especially if it's cold where you are and she kicks them out.

Use your ears right after you add the new chicks - Is she making her welcoming "cluck cluck cluck" noise when she hears the new voices? Does she do the body shuffle to make sure everyone is tucked in tight for the night? All good signs if so.

Personally, and maybe for the next time you do a hatch- I've taken to putting mine in large dog crates for those first 3 days so I can have them in the house while the chicks hatch and listen to everything that's happening. A chick that's been rejected will make certain (very sad) noises, especially if the broody gives them the heave-ho with sharp pecks- and there's no mistaking it. Momma gets taken out once a day for a good poop after the first day of hatched chicks has happened, which has contributed to being able to stay on the as yet unhatched eggs. The babies are in a safely contained area with food and water within everyone's reach.

As for adding them with the 2 week olds, I'd say probably not for AT LEAST A WEEK. If momma hen won't take them, keep them separated from the older chicks for at least the first week. The newer babies need to be beyond their "Pollyanna" stage, those first few days when they have no idea that there's anything dangerous in the world --- and they need to have their "get-away sticks" in full working order before adding them with older chicks. Otherwise they're prime targets as waddling new chicks. Now, there are all sorts of fun stories of older chicks mothering new babies- but I would not count on it.

I had a really nice broody that let me add newly hatched chicks (other hen rejected hers) to her 2-week old brood - and then the older chicks did a good job taking care of the littles when momma was done--- but again ... don't count on it.

The prime consideration is the health of the chicks that will hopefully hatch out for you very soon!

 

[Markkinley]

If you try to put them with the broody, WAIT until DARK and slip them underneath so she wakes up with them in the morning. The key to that is you need to be able to monitor what happens so you don't wake up to find a tragedy. Stand there a while right after you add them. Especially if it's cold where you are and she kicks them out.

Use your ears right after you add the new chicks - Is she making her welcoming "cluck cluck cluck" noise when she hears the new voices? Does she do the body shuffle to make sure everyone is tucked in tight for the night? All good signs if so.

Personally, and maybe for the next time you do a hatch- I've taken to putting mine in large dog crates for those first 3 days so I can have them in the house while the chicks hatch and listen to everything that's happening. A chick that's been rejected will make certain (very sad) noises, especially if the broody gives them the heave-ho with sharp pecks- and there's no mistaking it. Momma gets taken out once a day for a good poop after the first day of hatched chicks has happened, which has contributed to being able to stay on the as yet unhatched eggs. The babies are in a safely contained area with food and water within everyone's reach.

As for adding them with the 2 week olds, I'd say probably not for AT LEAST A WEEK. If momma hen won't take them, keep them separated from the older chicks for at least the first week. The newer babies need to be beyond their "Pollyanna" stage, those first few days when they have no idea that there's anything dangerous in the world --- and they need to have their "get-away sticks" in full working order before adding them with older chicks. Otherwise they're prime targets as waddling new chicks. Now, there are all sorts of fun stories of older chicks mothering new babies- but I would not count on it.

I had a really nice broody that let me add newly hatched chicks (other hen rejected hers) to her 2-week old brood - and then the older chicks did a good job taking care of the littles when momma was done--- but again ... don't count on it.

The prime consideration is the health of the chicks that will hopefully hatch out for you very soon!

Thank you so much, I’ll have a think about what I should do. I want be around enough to monitor what’s going on with them so might just set them up in there own. And once big enough add them with the other babies.
I don’t want to risk it as I can’t give them enough time. With a full time job and 5 kids. So I’ll do a set up tomorrow so they safe once hatched.

this is the first time Th is hen has abandoned her clutch. Usually she has a very good hatch rate and a good mumma.

something must of gone on, that’s why I cracked one to see what had happened wish I didn’t though. Poor wee thing.

hopfully they hatch soon as I have a fresh batch ordered in to put in incubator

fingers crossed this all works out

thanks again

 

[Frem16]

Awesome thank you, I just looked at them and they all seem to be moving around so that’s a good start. I was wandering if when they hatch will mama take hem them back? Or I have a brooder with 2 week old chicks could they go in there or would they get picked on?

Depends on the broody’s character she might be gentle as she might kill em , i would put them with her and watch her behavior if everything went well i would keep em with their mom, if not , put em back in the brooder

 

[Shezadandy]

Thank you so much, I’ll have a think about what I should do. I want be around enough to monitor what’s going on with them so might just set them up in there own. And once big enough add them with the other babies.
I don’t want to risk it as I can’t give them enough time. With a full time job and 5 kids. So I’ll do a set up tomorrow so they safe once hatched.

this is the first time Th is hen has abandoned her clutch. Usually she has a very good hatch rate and a good mumma.

something must of gone on, that’s why I cracked one to see what had happened wish I didn’t though. Poor wee thing.

hopfully they hatch soon as I have a fresh batch ordered in to put in incubator

fingers crossed this all works out

thanks again

Anyone hatch yet?

We've all been there in one way or another. For my very first broody hatch, somehow an egg got moved to another nest box - and because I didn't mark the egg to differentiate it from the food eggs, it got collected ... and refrigerated ... and opened into the frying pan. So now I write numbers on each egg in 4 different places with a Sharpie to make it much harder to repeat the mistake.

It's hard to know what inspired her move this time. For grins, do give her a check for mites just in case. I don't say that to be rude, I promise - but check around the vent, under the wings, and of course, the chicks who have already hatched. Just in case. Because they stay in the same place for so long, broodies can be prime targets.

Sounds like a good job for the kids (observing the hen with the hopefully hatched babies) to take turns watching assuming they're old enough. I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya!