Hatched chick with mother hen problem

[ReiK]

Hi everyone!
I am new on chicken raising. I had a hen with 5 eggs. Staggered hatching: April 20 one hatched, then today april 22 one hatched. All 3 eggs still remain under hen. The hen is still sitting on the nest, i am concerned that the first hatchling will go hungry and dehydrated as today is 3rd day, so i placed a small shallow cup with feed and water, the hen and chick eat and drink but it is definitely not enough. The chick can't get out yet of the fruit basket i used as the sides height is approx 2 to 3inches? Any idea on what i should do? The hen was able to come in and out of the basket but the chick can't follow.

Please help, thank you.

 

[M-H-Fielding]

I would try to find a way to put food inside the basket.
BTW, welcome to BYC!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm surprised the chick couldn't follow after it has dried off. Mine don't have any trouble getting out of a nest with a lip that tall. But I may not be envisioning it correctly.

Chicks can go more than 72 hours after hatch without eating and drinking. They absorb the yolk before hatch and can live off of that for a long time without eating or drinking. That's why they can be mailed. You've still got a day to go before you hit that limit. Giving the chick food and water now will just extend that time some.

That's the problem with a staggered hatch. When the first chicks that hatch start to get hungry or thirsty they will tell the hen it's time to leave the nest. She has to decide if she takes care of the ones that have hatched or sacrifice them for the eggs that have not yet hatched. The majority will take care of the chicks that have hatched and sacrificed the unhatched chicks. Once the chicks internal pip they start talking to the hen so she should know if any more are coming soon. I hate staggered hatches, they are too stressful for you and the hen. If the hen tried to leave it may be about time but the chick should be OK for a bit longer.

So what can you do? I don't think there is a good answer. If the first chick to hatch starts complaining I'd remove the last eggs and tip the basket over to get the two chicks out. Or carefully lift them out but Mama may object to that so be careful to not hurt a chick.

If you try to pick up the broody hen be careful. I killed a chick once by crushing it. The chick had crawled up under the broody hen's wing and I killed it when I picked her up. Not a good feeling at all.

Good luck, you are not in a great place. Welcome to the forum, I just wish it were in better circumstances.

 

[ReiK]

thank you for the responses. I have tried placing small cups of container within the basket with feed and water, the mother hen and the first hatched chick do peck at it so a little relief atleast the chick can have little by little fed and hydrated. Will continue that on regular intervals during the whole daytime.

 

[ReiK]

Do mother hen knows if the egg she’s still sitting on will hatch or not?

 

[M-H-Fielding]

If she's still sitting on it, it might hatch.

 

[ReiK]

If she's still sitting on it, it might hatch.

Okay will wait again. It is hard to see underneath her.. thank you

 

[ReiK]

I'm surprised the chick couldn't follow after it has dried off. Mine don't have any trouble getting out of a nest with a lip that tall. But I may not be envisioning it correctly.

Chicks can go more than 72 hours after hatch without eating and drinking. They absorb the yolk before hatch and can live off of that for a long time without eating or drinking. That's why they can be mailed. You've still got a day to go before you hit that limit. Giving the chick food and water now will just extend that time some.

That's the problem with a staggered hatch. When the first chicks that hatch start to get hungry or thirsty they will tell the hen it's time to leave the nest. She has to decide if she takes care of the ones that have hatched or sacrifice them for the eggs that have not yet hatched. The majority will take care of the chicks that have hatched and sacrificed the unhatched chicks. Once the chicks internal pip they start talking to the hen so she should know if any more are coming soon. I hate staggered hatches, they are too stressful for you and the hen. If the hen tried to leave it may be about time but the chick should be OK for a bit longer.

So what can you do? I don't think there is a good answer. If the first chick to hatch starts complaining I'd remove the last eggs and tip the basket over to get the two chicks out. Or carefully lift them out but Mama may object to that so be careful to not hurt a chick.

If you try to pick up the broody hen be careful. I killed a chick once by crushing it. The chick had crawled up under the broody hen's wing and I killed it when I picked her up. Not a good feeling at all.

Good luck, you are not in a great place. Welcome to the forum, I just wish it were in better circumstances.

Thank you. Today i saw the 2 of them able to get out and in the basket to eat and drink. Mother hen still sitting on the 3 unhatched eggs, i am uncertain if i should remove or just let her be. She went to eat and drink but still return to the basket with her eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

As long as the chicks aren't complaining about being hungry or thirsty (If they are you'll know by their plaintive peeping. It's so sad and soul-wrenching you know something is wrong) and she is willing to sit on the eggs I'd leave her alone. Let her decide.

I've never been in your situation. When I have a hen go broody I start collecting the eggs I want her to hatch and mark them. I start them all at the same time. Then every day after the others have laid I check under her and remove any that don't belong. That way I avoid a staggered hatch. Hopefully your next hatch will be a lot less stressful.

 

[ReiK]

As long as the chicks aren't complaining about being hungry or thirsty (If they are you'll know by their plaintive peeping. It's so sad and soul-wrenching you know something is wrong) and she is willing to sit on the eggs I'd leave her alone. Let her decide.

I've never been in your situation. When I have a hen go broody I start collecting the eggs I want her to hatch and mark them. I start them all at the same time. Then every day after the others have laid I check under her and remove any that don't belong. That way I avoid a staggered hatch. Hopefully your next hatch will be a lot less stressful.

Hi, thank you for the advise. It is quite hard to see her nest as it was placed quite inside and small on the corner of a fence. And the hen has minimal human contact, usually just feed and water so quite aggressive when it comes to her nest. I don't have problem with other hen laying as they are all aggressive towards same gender, so they are placed in fence paired with opposite sex. I am planning to bring all the chicks and hen with remaining eggs down on the ground for bigger area. Or would it be better to just remove the basket. I am quite in a dilemma on choosing what is best to do. They currently in an elevated small nesting place which is about 3ft by 2ft or maybe more... but the basket consume quite a space and i am concern that the hen would step on her chicks...