First time broody hen - first time chicken owner - help?!

[Justjaz5]

Hi all - I am a first time chicken owner and I had no intentions on hatching chicks but one of my hens had other plans. I’m sorry for the long post ahead but I’m trying to give as much info as possible to get an answer. If it helps, I live in New Zealand (Northland)
I can’t be sure but I think we are on day 20-22. 2 healthy happy chicks have hatched. (One early hours of yesterday, the other late last night/early this morning) it’s now roughly 35-40 hours since first chick hatched. This afternoon mama left her clutch to tend to the hatched babies, I then watched her peck at and turn the 4 remaining eggs before sitting back on them. When I went back this evening (5-6 hours later) I noticed she had abandoned the clutch and was sitting on her live chicks in a different spot. It’s summer here atm and temp today was mostly 22 degrees Celsius. I decided to candle the eggs to help me decide what to do.
As I said, I’m new to this do I can’t be certain but I’m pretty sure only 2 of the eggs have a developed chick inside, I can clearly see the air pocket and rest of egg completely black. It doesn’t appear as tho there has been any internal pip. I could see no movement, even after tapping gently. I managed to move all 4 eggs back under mama and after she checked them out she sat back on them with her other hatched chicks and that was how I left her. I’ve decided to leave her for tonight and hope for the best in the morning.
Is the amount of time she spent off the eggs problematic?
If there was no internal piping is it normal to see no movement?
The eggs were cold to the touch, is this a problem?
Should I intervene if no internal Pip?
How long should I leave them to hatch naturally before attempting to intervene or before removing them from nest?
Should I remove the 2 eggs that don’t have developed chicks in and leave the other 2?
Sorry I have so many questions! I’ve assisted many animal births but never anything from an egg, I find this all so fascinating!! Thanks so much for taking the time to read my novel!!

 

[Sussex19]

Welcome to byc!

I can’t be sure but I think we are on day 20-22. 2 healthy happy chicks have hatched. (One early hours of yesterday, the other late last night/early this morning) it’s now roughly 35-40 hours since first chick hatched.

Did you set them all at the same time, or were other hens adding eggs to the nest?

 

[Justjaz5]

Welcome to byc!

Did you set them all at the same time, or were other hens adding eggs to the nest?

Thanks for the welcome and thanks for the quick reply. I didn’t set them she was doing that all herself, I didn’t get a chance to count eggs until well into the first week when I counted 6 and that amount remained unchanged throughout the time she’s been sitting on them

 

[DatCampG]

I personally would just let nature take its course. Happy New Year.

 

[Sussex19]

Thanks for the welcome and thanks for the quick reply. I didn’t set them she was doing that all herself, I didn’t get a chance to count eggs until well into the first week when I counted 6 and that amount remained unchanged throughout the time she’s been sitting on them

In that case the is a possibility of a staggered hatch, where the last egg may hatch up to few days later.
So bearing that in mind,

Is the amount of time she spent off the eggs problematic?

there is a very good chance that they would be ok.

If there was no internal piping is it normal to see no movement?

It can be normal, as near hatching the egg is so full it is very hard to see anything in it.

The eggs were cold to the touch, is this a problem?

Again, there is a good chance that they are ok

Should I intervene if no internal Pip?

I would not, or at least wait till the hen has totally done sitting, more so you can see what might have gone wrong, as if they don't internally pip by themselves there is not much you can do.

How long should I leave them to hatch naturally before attempting to intervene or before removing them from nest?

So they might be staggered, so I would leave them as long as possible. But I doubt you will be able to keep the hen sitting for much longer. Do you have an incubator?

Should I remove the 2 eggs that don’t have developed chicks in and leave the other 2?

It wouldn't hurt, but then there isn't much need either.

I have just answered the questions to the best of my knowledge and experience, and may be wrong about some things.
If you try to keep the hen on the nest, make sure that there is food and water, and she will need to get off the nest to poop if she is eating more than when she was sitting on eggs.

 

[Justjaz5]

In that case the is a possibility of a staggered hatch, where the last egg may hatch up to few days later.
So bearing that in mind,

there is a very good chance that they would be ok.

It can be normal, as near hatching the egg is so full it is very hard to see anything in it.

Again, there is a good chance that they are ok

I would not, or at least wait till the hen has totally done sitting, more so you can see what might have gone wrong, as if they don't internally pip by themselves there is not much you can do.

So they might be staggered, so I would leave them as long as possible. But I doubt you will be able to keep the hen sitting for much longer. Do you have an incubator?

It wouldn't hurt, but then there isn't much need either.

I have just answered the questions to the best of my knowledge and experience, and may be wrong about some things.
If you try to keep the hen on the nest, make sure that there is food and water, and she will need to get off the nest to poop if she is eating more than when she was sitting on eggs.

Wow thank you so much for all those answers!! I don’t have an incubator unfortunately, the problem seems to be when the chicks run about and she gets up with them she doesn’t return to the eggs and will then just sit wherever she can get the chicks back under her. I’ll keep monitoring her and hope she sits for a bit longer, will see if anyone local to me has an incubator just in case. She has food and water close by and her maternity ward is a massive portion of the coop (closed off to others) so plenty of room to poop. Fingers crossed they hatch soon!! Thanks again, really appreciate it

 

[Sussex19]

Wow thank you so much for all those answers!! I don’t have an incubator unfortunately, the problem seems to be when the chicks run about and she gets up with them she doesn’t return to the eggs and will then just sit wherever she can get the chicks back under her. I’ll keep monitoring her and hope she sits for a bit longer, will see if anyone local to me has an incubator just in case. She has food and water close by and her maternity ward is a massive portion of the coop (closed off to others) so plenty of room to poop. Fingers crossed they hatch soon!! Thanks again, really appreciate it

I'm glad I could help!
I so hope that they hatch, but do want to point out that there is a fair chance they don't.
between days 17-20 are when I have the most losses. There is not really much one can do, either.
I'm rooting for them!

 

[bhaugh]

Once chicks have hatched most will abandon the eggs and move on. I have saved a couple ducklings by taking away eggs and hatching them myself but since you said you did not have an incubator, I'd pick them up and throw them out. A rotten dead chick smell is ghastly and they could have died and that's why she left them. Most hens will push out the bad eggs from the nest so unless your hear chirps after tapping the eggs don't risk them exploding on you.

 

[Ninaamaya]

If she’s given up and won’t sit, you could try to keep the viable ones warm in the day and skip them under her at night. I hatched a chick in my bra one time….

 

[Shipgirl]

If she’s given up and won’t sit, you could try to keep the viable ones warm in the day and skip them under her at night. I hatched a chick in my bra one time….

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