Desperate surrogate momma

[YellowRose1]

I have a broody hen that has hatched 5 of her 8 eggs.One is completely missing. She desperately needs to get them chicks down TODAY and get them food and water. I was told to take the last two eggs from her because they probably weren't gong to hatch. While sitting here holding them, trying to keep them warm till I figured out what to do, I thought I was hearing chirping. I am fairly certain now. I have them in my indoor grow tent and according the the thermometer it is 100 in the bowl I have them in. paper towel on top of warm dirt. A tiny tiny bowl of water and a paper towel over the bowl

What do I do?

Some have said they are over due and to help them out others say absolutely do not, they will die for certain.

Please help I am desperate to save at least the one. I think I am only hearing chirping from one of the 2..

Addition - She is on the floor with her chicks, they are by food & water. Can I put the 2 eggs back under her? Should I put the 2 eggs back under her?

 

[Basil Gray]

I am having/had a similar problem. I have eggs under a hen that were suppose to hatch on Sunday, but they are still hatching. The "good" broody has all chicks that have hatched and I keep all the other eggs under the psycho broody (loves to sit on eggs but wants to eat the chicks, I have two hens that do that and one hen that eats the eggs through the incubation , but loves the chicks. I have really weird hens)

If you want to be positive that someone is still alive in there, this is what I do (and the chicks still hatch when I do this most of the time) I take a screw and gently screw a small hole in to the air sack end of the egg (I usually candle the egg before I do this to make sure the air sack is where it should be) and I look inside the egg at the membrane if its moving obviously someone is alive in there. Something to look for is the membrane, if it is taunt its still several days away from hatching and is still absorbing yolk or is it wrinkly and covering the chick's body (should hatch any time now, also look for veins that are absorbing the last of the blood/yolk)

Something else I do with the late comers is keep them in a separate room from broody and chicks (if the chick hears the broody it will call for her and she will do anything to get to it even if it means she accidently steps on and kill the other chicks) so that it gets a chance to dry off and gain some energy. Once the broody settles down for the night I give her the chick. (I toss it under her wing and check on them in the morning.)

 

[YellowRose1]

Thank you for getting back to me. I decided to take the eggs back last night and check them out. One had a chick that may not have been fully developed and/or died sometime in the process, didn't pull it completely out and look it over. the other egg had nothing. Now I am concerned with momma.She isn't wanting to get up. Seems weak. I did have food and water right next to her and made sure the babies all ate and drank. Now I have moved the food a couple feet from her. I still make sure the chicks are eating and drinking through out the day.

But I am worried about mom. Does she stay down like this? Maybe she is getting up and walking around but I am not seeing it, I don't know. It seems her legs are really weak and unsure how to help her other them make sure she eats and drink some water with braggs apple cider vinegar in it to help build her strength back. I even had her stand and kinda rubbed he legs. She stood for a couple feeding the chicks but then took a couple steps and right back down. Am I being worried for nothing. Never dealt with a broody before and not sure how they act.

Yes a worry wart , just get some wart -be-gone.

checked on her again. she still isn't standing long. She had moved closer to the food/water and fed and watered the chicks but she is not up moving around. I am worried about her. It also doesn't seem she is eating much if anything. Just breaking up the bigger pieces of the food for the chicks. Just about ready do give her some apple sauce to make her eat... unsweetened. They love apple sauce but don't get it much at all. don't think I want her feeding it to the chicks yet. I want her to eat and get up moving around.

 

[Basil Gray]

You too might have leg/walking problems if you sat for 20-21 days strait trying to balance on some eggs. Give her a couple days to eat (broodies do not eat much normally during incubation) and a sometime to gain back her muscle she should be fine. As long as she has a few chicks she is kind of forced to teach them how to eat and she has to eat herself.
Also broody hens sit for a long time after they hatch so that they can keep the chicks warm and protected. She should be fine. And now you are past the worst part, broody dumpings (I "potty trained" my broodies to dump on command because that is an awful smell, after chicks are out they stop with that)