Esmaralda a RIR managed to collect 11 eggs some were hers some were our other 4 gals eggs. She has patiently sat on them for 21+ days. Our girls are wild and run from us so moving her when she became broody wasn't an option so we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. I went out Monday morning to find a dead baby in the center of the coop and another with a horribly pecked little head hiding by the wall. I rescued the baby and put her inside in a makeshift brooder. She hatched 2 more that night and we didn't want to upset her and she seemed to be protecting them. Today she came out to drink and we looked in the coop to find one baby that it looks as if she smothered and another on the edge of death. We brought that one in also. That left 7 eggs unhatched. She hasn't gone back inside the coop, hasn't rejoined the flock, just sits there with her extremely pale comb in the run while the rest of the flock is happily free ranging. What can I do to help her. And what about the eggs she has abandoned? We rushed out and bought an incubator but now I'm kinda scared to move them, hub dropped one and it was partially formed baby. Its been a sad day here. Please advise.....
Sounds like she may have left the nest which is common once they hatch their chicks. I would gather the eggs and candle them. Most of the time the eggs are no good, however it is possible that you may have a couple of eggs just late in hatching. Sounds like your poor little hen didn't know what to do with her chicks. Make sure your hen has plenty of water and food nearby. She should be okay in a few days and start free ranging with the others. I think that the other chickens pecked the chick you found so it would be best to keep the chicks in the brooder and not give them back to the hen.
Maybe in this heat (I';m assuming you are having 90's like most of the country) you can get by with putting the chriks in a rubbermaid box, with a desk lamp shining down on them. Can you bring mama into a basement or cooler garage and cage her with the remaining eggs? Take any hatched chicks away and put them in your box with the light. If you can get infant drops at Walmart - called Polyvisol(NO IRON) and can give each chick a tiny bit off the dropper that helps alot of perk them up. Provide water in a very shallow dish(they can drown easily) and gently push their peck to it to show them its water. Newly hatched chisk are usually okay for a day or two without food since they absorbed the yolk before they were born. Momma sounds to be in bad shape(maybe from heat or not eating/drinking well enough) - its important to get her to take enough fluids and some nourishment. Broody hens usually don't want to leave the nest but, they kneed to keep up their strength. I think it's alright to give mama some of the infant drops too. I'm sorry I can't be of moe help. My darn minitor keeps going black , so I have to wait till it comes back on and try to finish typing and correcting my mistakes. I hope someone else comes on to give better suggestions.
Thank you all for the fast response!!! I appreciate it more than you know. We are already TOTALLY IN LOVE with Wheatie (the little skined headed baby) and I can't believe we are talking "house chicken" and looking at diaper designs LOL! We put the rest of the eggs in the incubator and said a little prayer. When we adopted our 6 girls they were young adults and we never could quite tame them. We had a Turken Roo show up in our woods last fall, he was a skinny, beat up, patch plucked mess. It didn't take long for him to get into the girls and our hearts with his antics! We are looking forward to hand raising the babies!
My vote would be candling and into the bator if viable. Mama hen needs her strength back, too. Good luck!
