Does the hen feed the chicks if it's still sitting on eggs?

[MuthaMuthaCluck]

Hi all, so my wife and I kinda messed up. We're new to hatching chicks and just had a baby, so things are chaos.

We have 3 nesting boxes that are about 2' off the ground. A hen went broody and was sitting on a couple eggs. Due to being so busy and not eating eggs as much, we just said let's see what happens and let nature take its course, lol, big mistake. What we didn't realize, is that half the other 13 hens were laying eggs in the same nesting box. After a couple weeks, there were 4 broody hens between 2 boxes, and we're only getting a couple eggs in the 3rd. Finally I said we've gotta do something, and we lifted the hens and there were 45 eggs .

So I marked them all, and started removing any new eggs. The problem is the eggs started hatching, but there's still tons of eggs left and obviously their timeframes are all over the place. The hens aren't really looking after the chicks, 2 of them have died. They're really sticking to the eggs. I figured they bring food to the chicks, but I learned that's not the case.

I can remove all the eggs, and put the chicks on the ground, but that seems like a waste of potential chick's. Or I can bring down 1 hen and the chicks? Not really sure the best route. Any advice?

 

[MGG]

Hi all, so my wife and I kinda messed up. We're new to hatching chicks and just had a baby, so things are chaos.

We have 3 nesting boxes that are about 2' off the ground. A hen went broody and was sitting on a couple eggs. Due to being so busy and not eating eggs as much, we just said let's see what happens and let nature take its course, lol, big mistake. What we didn't realize, is that half the other 13 hens were laying eggs in the same nesting box. After a couple weeks, there were 4 broody hens between 2 boxes, and we're only getting a couple eggs in the 3rd. Finally I said we've gotta do something, and we lifted the hens and there were 45 eggs .

So I marked them all, and started removing any new eggs. The problem is the eggs started hatching, but there's still tons of eggs left and obviously their timeframes are all over the place. The hens aren't really looking after the chicks, 2 of them have died. They're really sticking to the eggs. I figured they bring food to the chicks, but I learned that's not the case.

I can remove all the eggs, and put the chicks on the ground, but that seems like a waste of potential chick's. Or I can bring down 1 hen and the chicks? Not really sure the best route. Any advice?

Welcome to BYC!
I would pull all of the chicks and brood them inside.
Then as any chicks hatch pull them too and put them inside with the others.
Once all of the viable eggs have hatched, you can bring the chicks back out.
The hens should still accept them.
The chicks that died, did they look like they had been killed? Sometimes there are broodies that sit great but then kill all of the chicks as they hatch.

 

[nchls school]

Bring down one hen to mother the hatched chicks, but after a day or so that hen will likely not accept any more chicks that hatch under the other broodies. At which point you will need to bring down another hen to care for any new hatches. If you do this bring down the hens that have been brooding the longest first.

Now you will have problems between the mothers, the other hens, and the rooster, unless you house the mothers and chicks separately.

It would be easier for you and safer for the chicks if you took the chicks as they hatched and dried to be raised under a heat lamp.

 

[gimmie birdies]

In the future, mark the eggs you want a hen to have, (all the same date, and 9 eggs or less.) Remove the new eggs laid by the other hens.

If you try and let a hen hatch 45, it may look cute but you will kill off most of the eggs.

 

[Yardmom]

To save the most "eggs" you will need to take over and raise any hatched chicks in a brooder. Do not expect a hen to be willing to take them back later. You may need to put unhatched eggs in an incubator. Another option is to candel the eggs and separate into groups based on development. Give about a dozen eggs (depending on hen size) to each hen. Each hen needs to have a set of eggs that will hatch at the same time. Beware broody hens will fight over chicks or try to kill chicks that are not their own. You probably know now that hens do not bring chicks food. They bring chicks to food when" all "have hatched.

 

[MuthaMuthaCluck]

Awesome advice, thanks all.

I think I'll use an incubator for the rest of them and just leave the current chicks with one hen.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens.. Seems like you figured out a plan good luck.

 

[Nashv755]

Awesome advice, thanks all.

I think I'll use an incubator for the rest of them and just leave the current chicks with one hen.

Sounds like you've got a good workable plan. For future reference. Chicks can live just fine for a few days off the internal embryonic sac when they hatch. That's why I like getting day olds in the mail rather than a box store. I'm the 1st caretaker they see.

 

[Doc1960]

Awesome advice, thanks all.

I think I'll use an incubator for the rest of them and just leave the current chicks with one hen.

So Im curious. In a incubator you need to stop a turner 3 days before hatching. How can you determine the 3 days?

 

[nchls school]

So Im curious. In a incubator you need to stop a turner 3 days before hatching. How can you determine the 3 days?

With a staggered hatch, eggs hatching at different times, turning the eggs can not be stopped. A turner may result in chicks dying depending on the design and is removed at hatch time. In your case it would be better to turn the eggs by hand and forget about any lockdown of three days.
This is why it was recommended that the chicks be taken from the hens as they hatch and reared under a heat lamp/in a brooder until all have hatched.
Candling all the eggs will allow you to get rid of the eggs that are not viable. With so many eggs under the hens you are likely to find many eggs that have died and are now decomposing.