Emergency!! HELP! (Updated, thanks!)

[babyspice35]

I had a broody hen, her eggs mostly hatched out easter and yesterday.

SHe just got up off the nest about 5 mins ago and won't go back.

There are 6 eggs left and three are trying to get out and peeping... i caught it so they're still warm.

Can i open their shells for them?

I have an incubator i just stuck them in but the temp will be all jacked up, i know.

Can I "help them hatch" then return them to momma?!?!

HELP!!!

 

[haleyh-LHP]

I would suggest maintaining the temp as close as possible to 99 degrees.
Leave them in there, let them hatch by themselves.

Once they do hatch I'd raise them apart from the mom.

 

[babyspice35]

Idk if i can keep the temp that close...

They're moving inside.
thanks

 

[bock]

Take her hatched chicks and return her to the nest. As soon as the others are hatched you can return her other babies. GOOD LUCK!

 

[Akane]

They'll survive much lower than 99F. Probably down to 95 or so without trouble so you don't have to keep the temp too exact. Bottles of hot water will get an incubator up to that temp and keep it there for awhile even without the thermostat running very accurately. They might have a little less energy at the lower end of those temps but they won't die so long as they can still get out of their eggs. At this point maintaining an exact humidity is far more important and the lower the temp the harder it is to keep a high humidity. What the perfect humidity is depends on your incubator and climate so not much help can be given there. It's best to go off of whatever worked for other hatches you've done in that incubator.

If you haven't helped chicks hatch before odds are you will kill them and they will still need the incubator and proper humidity until they are ready to hatch. Just because they are pipped or even partially zipped doesn't mean they might not have to sit for up to another 12-24hours before they are actually ready to come out of the egg. Trying to get them out early will break blood vessels so they lose too much blood or you'll have a chick with the yolk sac still hanging off it that can cause all kinds of complications. The hen probably knows they aren't going to be ready soon but she needs to take care of her other chicks so she keeps the ones that are out alive rather than risk them for ones that may or may not manage to hatch.

 

[babyspice35]

Thanks for the help!!!

Tried to take the chicks, but mamma was way worried and started jumping all over trying to get them. Stepping on the remaining eggs, too. <-- She was also doing this earlier today, when the chicks jumped out of the nest.

Good news so far!! I decided to "intervene" as it looked as though the inner membrane was dried out. I followed a thread about it. My mom then came to see what I was doing and took them out of the shell and membrane!!! She said "they're a lot more hardy than you think" I thought for sure they were going to die because of moms haste, but to my surprise, they're drying off in the now warm-ish incubator

They're still alive but lazy, with little spurts of energy trying to stand up, is that normal?

Thanks for the help!

 

[babyspice35]

ALSO--->

Yes they did bleed and break blood vessels, does this mean the two of them will probably die?

 

[underground chickenman]

If you need to raise the incubator temp quickly (it may be up to temp by now) hang a heat lamp over it. Not too close so you don't burn or melt it, but close enough to give the heating element a boost.

UGCM

 

[babyspice35]

Thanks all

Update--->

Both of them are alive but still learning to walk. Momma accepts them but I have them inside with me as momma and her chicks were re-introduced to the flock outside.

I tried to leave the other 4 eggs in the incubator but temps soared to 112.

Needless to say, they were dead when I woke up. Sad but it happens, right?