Eggs hatching, chicks in and out of nest!

[arrowti]

Need some help please! Our second broody's eggs hatched suddenly (no chirping this morning or last night). Two chicks are dry and have jumped out of the nest. She's sitting on the ones outside of the nest. We have two drying fresh hatches inside the nest (chirping, breathing, exhausted), and two eggs in the process of hatching.

She's stressed out trying to sit on her dry chicks but also needing to sit on the others. Our first broody (3.5 week old chicks) attacked her.

Will the chicks in the eggs die while hatching if their mother isn't on them? It is hot out (88+) and humid. Should I attempt to move the fresh hatches onto the ground with their mother? Should I move the hatching eggs or leave them be? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[sylviethecochin]

They probably would be fine, even if you left them. However, just in case, I'd get a cardboard box and stick mum, peeps, and nest in it. She'll stay on the eggs, now that they're peeping at her, and be much calmer. If you put a lid on it, the other hens won't be able to bother her.

(Have airholes, obviously.)

 

[arrowti]

Thanks for your advice! I went ahead and moved them to the floor, and then I'll decide what to do next. The two wet hatches dragged themselves over to mama who accepted them. Mama did, however, step on one of them while she got up to eat and drink (the dry ones ate and drank with her, they're looking beautiful!). I'm worried about that little one, but I know they're going to take they're time to be able to walk normally.

The other wet hatch has a bloodied vent and a dried cord trailing behind her. She's not bleeding, so I'm not touching it and I'll let it fall off on its own. She's looking bright and active.

The two eggs that are halfway hatched peeped at me while I moved them (I made sure to keep them in the exact position as they were in the nest). One of them had blood in the egg, but it wasn't oozing out or anything. A third egg, not pipped, was peeping and I could feel movement in it. The rest didn't have movement or peeping but I moved them anyway, just in case.

She still isn't sitting on her eggs, but she's sitting on the two wet hatchlings and the ones in the eggs are still working their way out. I would expect once they hatched, if she doens't sit on them now, they'll crawl over to her like the others.

Hoping all these little ones make it okay. The other broody wasn't so stressful, mainly because her nest was on the ground and she only had two chicks, and they hatched overnight!

(This is my first year ever having broody hens, and I've already had two!)

 

[sylviethecochin]

Good luck!

Be careful--broodies multiply.

 

[arrowti]

Oh don't I know it. She started sitting the day she saw our first broody with her chicks! (first broody had her nest outside the coop/fence, out of sight).

 

[arrowti]

I have shifted the eggs closer to her. I can't feel movement in the third egg anymore (hopefully it's just settled in position and not dead!). She's inched closer to them as they chirped, trying to get them under her wing. The rest are sitting around her.

They're still peeping quite loudly and pressing at their eggs. They are breathing. She's clucking away at them. If the third one is alive it will be well behind the others, and I'm worried she may not be interested in waiting on it while the others are active.

 

[lazy gardener]

If you can keep them under her until evening, all should be well. My broody hen took her clutch to the feed and water, and pretty much camped right beside the feed bowl for the first 2 days. Wishing you the best.

 

[arrowti]

Ours is camping outside the food and water as well. We've put up a door so that she has a separate section in the coop safe from other chickens while they hatch. I believe she hasn't gotten off her nest in about a week, because she started laying on a nest over 3 and a half weeks ago (but she initially laid on a different nest and switched after a few days because she got confused). Her comb had gotten very pale.

She's looking much better with a healthy red comb after eating and drinking. The white one is drying off. How long after hatching should chicks start to perk up and move around? I'm worried about the stepped-on one, mostly. I hope nothing was broken or injured.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Chicks are pretty resilient. I wouldn't worry about the stepped-on one. When my blue was a first -timer, she kicked her chicks everywhere while scratching for food. They turned out alright.

 

[arrowti]

She has moved and basically moved most of the eggs under her. I find it interesting that chicks raised by a broody 'know' to be silent at night. No cheeping. No sounds at all. Meanwhile, chicks raised indoors or in a brooder chirp all night long!

I hope to see a few new hatchlings in the morning.