Final questions before possible hatch

[NicInNC]

I candled again just now and the one egg was sloshing wasn't even under mama. I decided to open it and it obviously stopped forming last week. It was only about the size of a cashew and not fully developed. I still think that one other is dead, but she was sitting on it so I left it.

The 3rd one is almost full of something solid. I swear I thought I saw it move a tad but it was hard to tell. I think my eyes were playing tricks on me. The egg looks just like the day 18 picture in the candling thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261876

What do I do? Mom is still with all the other chickens. They don't bother her, but I know she needs her own space. I tried moving her into a dog crate last week, but it's one of the wire crates with no solid walls. She freaked out when I moved her in there and refused to sit on the eggs. As soon as I put the eggs back into the nesting box with all the other chickens, she settled right down on them.

How am I going to move her? I have a huge rubbermaid tub that I use for my brooder. Should I try moving her? Will it kill the chick in the egg if I move mom and eggs now? I'm really starting to freak out.

What do I do?!

Day 21 is Thursday.

Also, IF the chick doesn't hatch, can I buy some chicks and put under her? Will she think they're her own?

 

[cpartist]

I wouldn't move her now, it would be stressful to her and might interfere with the hatching. She's essentially in lockdown at this point. Just keep a close eye on her
and when the chick hatches you can move them together. I went through this with a couple of broodies last summer. I let them hatch in their regular nest boxes and
moved them when the hatch was complete. Mainly I was worried about chicks venturing too far from mama and falling out the coop opening. It was a little tricky, because
I didn't want to move them before the hatch was complete, and the first borns were venturing about...one ended up in the next nest box over and visited with another
broody who was looking very confused

. In your case, with most likely only one viable egg, you won't have to wait so long to move them.

I also gave one of my mamas some chicks I hatched in the bator the same day as hers were hatched. Some say to slip them under her at night, but I did it in
the morning after the hatch so I could observe and make sure she accepted them. I shouldn't have worried, I put them under her wing and she took them right in.
She did give me the most curious look though...

Good luck!

 

[NicInNC]

If and when the egg hatches, how soon do I put water and chick starter in there for the chick?

 

[cpartist]

The chick will live off the absorbed yolk for a few days. Mama will be ready to eat and drink though,
and the earlier the chick starts eating and drinking the better. Mama will want to show her how...
Just move them as soon as you can after hatch and provide food and water. Back away from the
hen after moving...she will most likely let loose a ginormous, stinky poop

 

[NicInNC]

She was off the eggs for about 15 minutes yesterday. She's taken 1-2 breaks every day. Will she continue to take breaks up until the point of hatch? Since I'm not using an incubator, do the moms "lockdown"? What if she gets off the eggs today?

I'm worrying myself sick.

 

[cpartist]

Take a deep breath...it will be fine. The hens seem to know how long they can be off the
nest. I saw most of my broodies take unusually long breaks within two days of hatch, one
for an hour...it totally stressed me out, but it was summer, and very hot. Maybe her eggs
needed to cool off a bit. I also think they like to get enough food and water and have one
last good poo before the hatching marathon. Your girl sounds very dedicated, she will do
what's best.

Keep us posted! I have chicks due Thursday as well...30+ eggs in the bator, plus some
under 2 broodies

.

 

[NicInNC]

I think I'm losing my mind.
I candled really quick last night and still saw no movement. Mom hasn't moved from the egg since the day before yesterday. I just went out to see if anything changed and I noticed tiny hairline cracks where the air pocket would be. I picked it up and held it to my ear to see if I could hear any peeping but I didn't hear any. I did hear something that sounded like faint clicking though. I hope the clicking and hairline cracks don't mean it's bad and about to explode. It smells fine.

 

[cpartist]

That sounds like a chick trying to pip...you need to leave them alone. Candling at
this late date is like opening the bator during lockdown.
BACK AWAY FROM THE HEN!

.

 

[NicInNC]

Mom got up from the nest to pull the eggs under her that my other hens laid. UGH! No signs of anything yet.

 

[NicInNC]

I'm about to wring moms neck! I just looked outside and she's out scratching around. Do they take breaks up until the last minute?