FIRST HATCH!! YAY Need basic answers

detroit313

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My RIR Banty has been sitting on her 6 eggs for 18 days. I have her in the coop and my three regular RIR pullets (which are like twice as big as my banty) in the run along with their Grey Stag. I had to leave them out because they were poking at her eggs. She lost two of her eggs thanks to the pullets. Today I was dusting her for the second time this week with DE because I noticed mites on her. Then I heard peeping coming from the eggs!!!!
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The chicks are starting to poke through. What's next??

Should I put a lamp in the coop or does she heat them up?? Should I leave out some starter or does she feed them?? Should I separate them from her mom and raise them myself?? I'm worried because the banty always gets picked on by the pullets and am afraid that they will KILL the chicks. She was hand raised so she is very tame.

Any and all answers are very welcom. Thanks.

P.S. its nine oclock PM here in Michigan. When Can i expect them to come out completely??
 
No need for a lamp, your hen has all she needs to keep the chicks warm. You don't need to feed the chicks for the first couple of days because they live off of the yolk til then. Mama will know when to take them off the nest and go eat and drink. I'd keep them all separated from the rest of your chickens unless they're trustworthy. My 2 bantam roosters are in with my bantam hen and her chicks but they are very good to them but I wouldn't trust any of my other chickens. Don't fret too much, mama's instincts should kick in and give the chicks everything they need.
 
WOW! Thanks for the quick reply. Out of the six eggs four have already hatched. YAY:ya


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If anybody knows how to "classify" them that would help. Like, why is one of them more yellow. The mom is a RIR Bantam and the dad is Grey game.
 

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