First Time with Hatching anything - Broody Dot is my Momma- Question

[write2caroline]

Dot has been sitting 20 days and hardly gets off the nest. Yesterday I changed out her hay because it was buggy and she got off for a quick drink, a poop, a roll in the sand and some food and was a little miffed that the nest was feeling different but she sat right back down. I did feed her some yummy berries.

Two eggs have little peck holes from the inside poking out - That is pipped?

They feel really really light. She has 5 eggs total.

Three eggs are from my SLW and two came from a neighbor - they seem to be duds.

I am tempted to move her to the new broody coop but hesitant to move her off the nest during the day. My hubby spent a lot of time building a broody coop (AAAARRRRGH!!!!!) I don't want to take chances from the other Pullets and the Roo. She has been in the favored nest all this time.

On a good note - the rest of the girls seem to like the broody coop and spent time checking it out and sitting inside it.

I know nature will take its course and I need to be patient but I am not sure what to do or when to do it.

Do I feed them all medicated chick starter?
Caroline

 

[SarahFair]

Sounds like they are pipping. I would wait for them to hatch them move them.
Why would you need to feed medicated?

 

[L0rraine]

I always find it a huge dilemma about when to move the broody and their eggs. I feel like some of my hatch problems are because there are other hens or ducks vying for the favored nest. When I move the ducks to their own spot, they get upset that they aren't with the rest of the flock and that causes it's own set of problems. The chickens seem less concerned though, and happily settle into their new locale.

The first time around, when it got close to hatching time, we put the nest box on the floor of the coop with a chicken wire pen around it. But it didn't give mom and babies much room and the other hens seemed quite intent at finding their way into it. One laid an egg right next to the wire pen and the broody hen was off the nest for a significant amount of time trying to gather the lose egg up. Next time around I had a separate pen and house, which worked great, but recently I had a couple of broody ducks and hens at the same time and it seems no place to put everyone again.

Anyway, hope those pips turn into zips and you have babies soon.

 

[Southernbelle]

Now's a bad time to move her. Usually when the eggs start to pip, the mama hen stays on the nest until they all hatch. I'd wait until her babies hatch, then move her and the babies to the broody coop where she can take care of them. How big is the wire around the broody coop? I've had bantam hatchlings squeeze through chicken wire.

Medicated vs unmedicated chick starter is a personal choice. I always feed medicated because I've lost too many chicks to cocci, so I know there's cocci in my soil and I don't take chances. Usually broody-raised babies are less prone to cocci for some reason.