hatch day

[mmclaughlin]

So I"m getting a little excited....to day is day 21 for my 1st broody hen/1st ever hatching chicks...
she's in a dog crate that i can't get into or her see very well
so how do I know everything is going ok? how soon should the chicks peek out?? how long to hatch/ she only has 3 out of 4 she started with one got crushed and one looked iffy at candling on day 16 so there maybe only 2 that will hatch.. although she didn't push any out.. the box she's in has higher sides than realized not sure is the chicks can get out..how soon should i intervene to help them out??
hope when I get home after work today something good happened while i was away!!
thanks

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

The chicks will not need feed or water for a few days after hatching, so I would wait until Day 23 or Day 24 before intervening. With broody hens, it is best to let nature take its course and taking her off the eggs to check them may affect the humidity, etc.

After that point, you will need to make sure that the chicks can get to food and water, so if the box is too high, you may need to move them. If it is big enough, put the food and water in with them. If the broody hen leaves any eggs after hatching, she is finished and won't return to set on them.

I hope this helps.

 

[mmclaughlin]

Well.....we got one little one she's a cutie!!!...one didn't make it and one egg hasn't hatched!!
Thanks for your help!!
Mom and baby are doing well!

 

[mmclaughlin]

Just enjoying the new little one......one question
how long do I leave the 1 unhatched egg?? mom's still pretty protective of it..
thanks

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

If it is Day 22 and she is still protective, you could give her another two days, which I guess is today. How is she acting now?

 

[mmclaughlin]

thanks for asking...
She gave up sometime yesterday >( she was off teaching "little" how to scratch..when I got home last night
She's a great mom of 1 baby chick!! very attentive and lets me hold her chick and pet her....she's very friendly to me!!
I hope I get her to go broody next spring I would definitely hatch a few more!!
do you know how long before mom starts laying again??

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

I don't have a lot of experience with broody hens, as I incubate most of our eggs, but from others I have heard that they mother their chicks for 4 to 8 weeks and then will start laying again a couple of weeks after that. Since she has done it once, she should do even better the next time.