Hatching hen and Incubator eggs the same day...Quick Question!!!!

[Bow-Tie-Acres]

Ok the day is here.....Both the incubator and the hen is set for today and tomorrow hatching...Good new the Incbator has life...the first egg hatched today...chick is drying and chirping...ok on to my Question...when I checked the hen outside in the house she has one egg that is pipping and Iwnat to know if I can bring it in to the incubator or will it cross contaminate...I just do not want her to abandon the other eggs after that one hatches and I do not want the roo to get the baby...Please answer...it is the hens first hatch.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chicks can stay in the nest for two or three days without eating or drinking. That gives mama time to hatch the later eggs. As long as you started all the eggs under the hen at the same time and did not allow other hens to add eggs later, the hen should be able to hatch out all the eggs that will hatch before she takes her chicks off the nest.

I would not open the incubator during the hatch as that will mess with the humidity and temperature, thus endangering your eggs that have not finished hatching.

A good rooster protects all members of his flock. It is true that not all roosters are good, but I'd worry about other hens a lot more than the rooster. A good mama hen will protect her chicks from all other chickens, whether hens or bad roosters.

Unless you are aware of a specific threat, I'd leave the incubator closed (called lockdown) until that hatch is finished and leave the broody alone so she can do her job.

I can tell you are nervous. Try to relax a bit. Sounds like you are doing OK.

 

[Chicken D's mom]

I interferred with my broody and ticked her off. Everything is alright now, but I was nervous and impatient and almost ruined the whole thing. I gained alot of experience this first hatch. I realized I worried and fretted alot for nothing. Next time I'll just let my hen and chicks do the work and I'll just watch.

 

[Bow-Tie-Acres]

I am checking on her and I am hearing chirps from the eggs under the hen ...I will wait and see what happens at this point... but as soon as they are dry I am movin them to a safer area.....the roo has been know to attack other chicks when he was younger but he is a great protecter of his three hens... just hoping he does not look at these babies as intruders like he did when I tried to introduce another chicken before, but he was much younger.

I am sure it will be ok like you guessd I am just nervous I love my chickens and excited about my first hatch with these girls.