First hatchlings! Please help with my questions!!!

[Blue-eyed Red Bird]

I have a Buff Orpington that went broody about 3 weeks ago, and has been faithfully sitting on 14 eggs. I was uncertain if they were fertile and was going to look into candling or other methods to check today to make sure that her efforts were not in vain. BUT, I just went out to check on her, and she has a beautiful little chick nestled in with her!!!

(My DH had checked in on her a couple hours ago, and reported nothing - I'm thinking that the chick had to have been hidden away because it's completely dry and fluffy so obviously didn't JUST hatch.) Anyway, I'm worried because I haven't done my normal over-researching about this aspect of raising chickens. Is there anything special I should be doing right now? Will the little one be okay as the mother continues to sit on the rest of the eggs? I'll get some starter feed out for it, and there of course is water available. Should I take the food we have out for the Mama (laying mash with a little scratch mixed in) away so the little ones don't get into it? And, do I need to worry about temperature??? It's cool here today in Ohio - 55, with an expectation for night temps in the 30s. Many, many thanks for any advice you all can provide. I'M SO EXCITED!!!

 

[SunnyChic]

Congrats! How exciting for you!
Here's a website with some tips:
Tips for Incubating and Raising Chicks with a Mother Hen
Good luck with the new momma & her babies!

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Ooh thank you Sunnychic~ That's an excellent resource for learning to use a broody.

I am so off and on considering whether to use my broody girl or not. She's in a pen with other chickens and at this time I just don't have the space to separate her. I think I'll just break her for now and use her at a later time should she go broody again.

 

[SunnyChic]

I think that may be a good idea, especially if you don't have a separate space for her - it's wonderful though, to know you have a great broody for the future!

 

[Blue-eyed Red Bird]

Thanks for the link, SunnyChic! It was helpful, but I still am feeling pretty uncertain about what to expect since I didn't plan this very well ... or at all. There's at least 2 chicks out there now, it's hard to say how many others as they mostly are staying hidden under the Mama's wings - can hear them peeping and once in a while see a little head pop out for a minute. I have no idea how many were fertilized. (She had a total of 14 she was setting on.) I read conflicting info on whether to try to check underneath her as they're hatching, but I'm sticking with a natural course and just allowing her to do her thing for now. She clearly does not want me to mess with her - understandably! I'm aware now that I clearly should have candled them a week or so ago to ensure that they're viable and removed those that were not so they wouldn't rot ... and then, of course, I would have the added benefit of knowing how many hatchlings we could have. My understanding is that most of what will hatch should hatch within a 24 hour period. Does that make sense??? (She layed 14 eggs over a 2+ week period, so some of them were just layed about a week ago. And, I don't think she's made herself available to our roo for the entire period ...)

 

[SunnyChic]

I believe you're right; it says broodies are great multi-taskers and can watch babies and keep hatching & it's usually a 24 hour period. Remember the babies can hang out under mama for more than 48 hours before they need to eat or drink. Also, for the most part, broodies will kick bad eggs out of their nest early on by instinct when setting, so I would just watch her and let her do her thing. I think she'll know when hatching time is over. You're being a wonderful grandma - keep up the good work!

 

[Blue-eyed Red Bird]

Thanks so much for your reply and encouragement, SunnyChick! I can't wait to go out in the morning and see what there is to see! Have a great night!!!

 

[SunnyChic]

Night, night, don't let the bedbugs bite!

You know we need pics of mama & babies, right?

 

[motherbear]

Thanks so much for the link Sunnychic - it's just what I was looking for as well

 

[SunnyChic]

Quote:
ooohh, motherbear...what pretty eggs you have in your avatar!