Hatching Disaster - please advise!!!

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Our broody is a terrible mother! One of the chicks was born and the mother attacked it viciously flinging it around the cage. She pecked another egg to bits = I am pretty sure she killed that chick. We do not have an incubator so have taken the eggs and placed them iuna plastic bin under a heat lamp. What else can we do to save the remainiing chicks???

 

[CedarRidgeChicks]

Probably need to do something for the humidty..??..do you have a thermometer/hygro. ?

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

No, would some warm water in the container work to increase humidity?

 

[CedarRidgeChicks]

Yes, I would think..but be careful if they hatch..don't want them to drown..maybe some wet cloths or towels..? ..humidty needs to be around 70% or a little higher..don't know how to judge without hygro. but the warm water will help

 

[Mrs. Green Thumbs]

Try not to handle them too much. From what Iv read a chick still developing in the egg need's air to exchange through the pores in the shell. If you touch it too much with out washing your hands prior to touching the oil in your skin can clog the pores and suffocate the chick.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

We have a bowl with a wet washcloth in it in the tub. As it dries we replace the cloth. The temp is holding steady at 100, but I cannot measure the humidity.

The hatch was already at 23 days, how long should we give the eggs since they have not had really good conditions, how late could the hatch be and still be normal??

 

[Mrs. Green Thumbs]

oh... have you tried candeling them? They might not even be developing. Just trying to think since you haven't had many responses.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Thanks thumb! We candled them before the disaster struck and they were so full it was hard to tell. The shells are fairly dark in color so......