Desperate for advice!

[alexandradawe]

I have a Cuckoo Maran sitting on 7 eggs. Day 21 is tomorrow. I saw her on her break this morning so I went to check the nesting box and I found two chicks, but they're dead. One was all stretched out and had a broken leg, but the other is all curled up on itself, looks perfect, it's not stiff, just cold and not moving. I grabbed it quick, I blew it with a hairdryer for 10 minutes and put it in an incubator. I've seen on forums before not to give up on a chick just because it's cold, but this is cold AND a day early.

The nesting box smelled awful so I took all of the other eggs out. They were covered in I don't want to know what, so I gently wiped them all with hot water, wiped the bottom of the box, changed the hay and put them all back. She's sat back on the nest now.

The two eggs were totally smashed, and with one chick having a broken leg I'm assuming that mum stood on them somehow, they didn't hatch out themselves. Is there any chance that the chick might be alive? I'm now worried that the nest box is too small, the hen can comfortably sit in it but there's not much space around her. We've owned chickens for less than 18 months, we weren't expecting a broody. All the advice seemed to be leave her where she nests, trying to get her to move isn't a good idea. But now I'm worried that the nest box is too small and she's going to crush them all as they hatch. Should I try to move her when they're due to hatch tomorrow?

And should I have washed the eggs? They were covered in some really nasty stuff, and the smell was terrible, so I didn't want it seeping inside, but now I'm panicking that I've done more harm than good.

I've probably done everything wrong, when she first went broody I read all the books, candled after day 8, and watched the YouTube videos but I just wasn't expecting anything today and panicked and forgot everything. The chick is cold and totally still but all the forums say don't give up. Any advice welcome! Sorry for all of the questions.

 

[Akrnaf2]

There is nothing you can do now, leave them under it and see.

 

[chickens really]

Hello....if you have a way to move her and the nest down out of the nest box and can fence her off or even a large dog crate that is roomy? She should settle back down on her eggs....
If that chick is not moving?...Then it's gone ....
Next time set up your Hen in a brooder with feed and water to set her eggs....

 

[Spiderduck]

Oh wow. Wel usually mother hens know what they are doing and maybe the chicks being born early is nothing. I think your hen must have sat at least hald a day early than you think.

My chicks have always hatched on time. So its unusual for them to hatch like this.

Some chicks dont make it out. The one with broken leg, might have been ill or a weak chick and died. Yes maybe mother hen may have broke the leg but im presuming it died before.

Just watch the mother on her nest..it is best not to touch to much now do not disturb the mother unless for feeding her.

Make sure you warm the other chick and use hairdryer. Its great you have an incubator. Just wait and see.
I remember my mother hens before didnt know what they were doing so chicks died (our fault too for panicking) but now its under control.
Please let me know whats going on with the little dude in the incubator and mother

 

[Spiderduck]

Oh wow. Wel usually mother hens know what they are doing and maybe the chicks being born early is nothing. I think your hen must have sat at least hald a day early than you think.

My chicks have always hatched on time. So its unusual for them to hatch like this.

Some chicks dont make it out. The one with broken leg, might have been ill or a weak chick and died. Yes maybe mother hen may have broke the leg but im presuming it died before.

Just watch the mother on her nest..it is best not to touch to much now do not disturb the mother unless for feeding her.

Make sure you warm the other chick and use hairdryer. Its great you have an incubator. Just wait and see.
I remember my mother hens before didnt know what they were doing so chicks died (our fault too for panicking) but now its under control.
Please let me know whats going on with the little dude in the incubator and mother

 

[Spiderduck]

Oh wow. Wel usually mother hens know what they are doing and maybe the chicks being born early is nothing. I think your hen must have sat at least hald a day early than you think.

My chicks have always hatched on time. So its unusual for them to hatch like this.

Some chicks dont make it out. The one with broken leg, might have been ill or a weak chick and died. Yes maybe mother hen may have broke the leg but im presuming it died before.

Just watch the mother on her nest..it is best not to touch to much now do not disturb the mother unless for feeding her.

Make sure you warm the other chick and use hairdryer. Its great you have an incubator. Just wait and see.
I remember my mother hens before didnt know what they were doing so chicks died (our fault too for panicking) but now its under control.
Please let me know whats going on with the little dude in the incubator and mother

 

[Spiderduck]

Oh wow. Wel usually mother hens know what they are doing and maybe the chicks being born early is nothing. I think your hen must have sat at least hald a day early than you think.

My chicks have always hatched on time. So its unusual for them to hatch like this.

Some chicks dont make it out. The one with broken leg, might have been ill or a weak chick and died. Yes maybe mother hen may have broke the leg but im presuming it died before.

Just watch the mother on her nest..it is best not to touch to much now do not disturb the mother unless for feeding her.

Make sure you warm the other chick and use hairdryer. Its great you have an incubator. Just wait and see.
I remember my mother hens before didnt know what they were doing so chicks died (our fault too for panicking) but now its under control.
Please let me know whats going on with the little dude in the incubator and mother

 

[chicks are life]

I put a dome of chicken wire around my nesting boxes for the broody and put food and water in with them.as soon as they were all dry they go out with the flock.at night they all gfo back in the dome.

 

[Spiderduck]

Oh i see. I usually place my broody well away from the rest of them. I have 2 enclousures.
So one for the big gang and one for my mother hen.
She has chicks now and can make them grow up with minimal disturbance from the other group.
Plus this mother is not the top hen.
The other hen ( who had chicks before her) she will not let her and her babies have food.
And im afraid other hens will pick on them

 

[alexandradawe]

Hello....if you have a way to move her and the nest down out of the nest box and can fence her off or even a large dog crate that is roomy? She should settle back down on her eggs....
If that chick is not moving?...Then it's gone ....
Next time set up your Hen in a brooder with feed and water to set her eggs....

Yep, she caught us unawares. We didn't think we had broody breeds so never thought about it. We went away for a few days and left them with a teenager coming in just to feed and open and close up daily. Came back and the hen sitter said one of them hadn't left the coop the whole time we were away. So it was a bit out of the blue, we were totally unprepared. I think I'll be spending tomorrow in the henhouse!