Hatching with 2 broodies

[jools2014]

Oh so sorry to hear that. I have mice and rats getting into my hen house but no trouble with snakes over here, only got the fox to worry about and he can't get into the actual hen house when it's shut at night. I know what a pain it is trying to get rid of mice and rats and they can get into practically anything.

Anyway I'm having a bad day too. I have two broodies that have been sitting on 2 eggs (I had 3 but one got broken) for two and a half weeks (one went broody first, then the other a few days later so I figured I'd just let them both sit.) This morning both broodies happened to leave the nest for a few minutes and I looked and saw only one egg left. One of the eggs has just completely disappeared with no shell left or any trace of it at all! I have no idea what has happened to it! I saw that the one remaining egg had a crack in it and blood coming out. My first thought was that it had got cracked but then I realised it was probably trying to hatch, I never expected it so soon, they're not due to hatch until Wednesday! So I left it anyway, is it likely to make it hatching out on only day 17? I think it was still alive, is blood supposed to come out of it like that? I have never hatched before so I have no idea. It didn't feel very warm like no one had been sitting on it for a while-do the broodies stop sitting on it once it starts pipping? Anyway I'm feeling pretty bad today with everything going wrong!

 

[16 paws]

jools 2014,

I am so sorry to hear about your hatch. I dont know for sure but on day 17 seeing blood may not be a good sign.

I hope I am wrong.

Please do not be discouraged, I have had a lot of hatch disasters here also. Just keep trying and it will work out eventually. I have had several hatches with missing eggs also, Never did figure out what happened to them.

Take care
Marie

 

[16 paws]

Sonya9,

Guess what the chickens showed me under a lemon tree yesterday?

A curled up rattlesnake!!!!!
Freaked me out......
This is the second one in about 2 weeks that we had to destroy. I don't know if you heard me talk about it before but last year 2 rattlers got into the dog run and killed my little yorkie Abby. Saddest thing I have ever gone thru. Tried to save her at the vet (3 different ones) and $3.500 later she still died.One treated her for shock, the other gave her the anti-venom and the third was a hospital that could keep her on a 24 hour watch. My heart is broken over her passing. She really suffered bad. I still cry for her.
We have disposed of 3 rattlers since.
That is why I hate snakes.
Sorry about everything that happened to you and your flock. I understand your pain.

Marie

 

[ItalyChickie]

I am guessing it was probably a large rat snake. We have timber rattlers, copperheads and garters around here but this snake had to be medium sized based on how far it could open it's jaws. The fact it was able to get up on the 4.5' shelf under the perch is surprising though, I am guessing the snake was in the coop for a long time as getting on that shelf would not have been simple, it would have had to climb part of the wall to get to the ramp and up to that shelf.

I will admit I was a bit nervous, the coop has 4 inches of shavings on the floor, I took a broom and moved all of the shavings around to be sure the snake wasn't still in there, I was also hoping it was NOT a copperhead as I was wearing shorts, a rattler would be bad too but they aren't as aggressive and will always warn us if they can.

Sadly the girls were afraid to go into the coop last night, they were going to perch outside at dusk which is something they have NEVER done before. I got them in and one of the bantam hens was staring at the floor of the coop looking worried, the others wouldn't go near the perch where they always sleep. Sigh. Food was taken out of the run, chicken door locked, run locked, etc...

The last two chicks look fine, the other birds appear unhurt though today I noticed older broodies beautiful fan of tail feathers are all but gone so she must have gotten in a tussle with the predator too.

Thank you all for your support. Maybe this can serve as a warning to others, if mice/rats can get into the coop big trouble can soon follow.

This is truly scary, it doesn't sound like it was easy getting in there... I am sure this was a huge shock, to you and all of the girls...

Hope everyone recovers ok. Hugs to you and the little family that survived.

In my news, one of Pallina's chicks disappeared without a trace a few days ago, and I also suspect a snake, as we have no other predators here. They are free ranging now though, and this was a chick that tended to go off on his own a lot... I guess I have to accept those things can happen with free ranging, unless I want to keep them all closed in at all times. No way I can snake proof the entire backyard, unfortunately...

I also have 4 new arrivals with my co-parents:

Anyway I'm having a bad day too. I have two broodies that have been sitting on 2 eggs (I had 3 but one got broken) for two and a half weeks (one went broody first, then the other a few days later so I figured I'd just let them both sit.) This morning both broodies happened to leave the nest for a few minutes and I looked and saw only one egg left. One of the eggs has just completely disappeared with no shell left or any trace of it at all! I have no idea what has happened to it! I saw that the one remaining egg had a crack in it and blood coming out. My first thought was that it had got cracked but then I realised it was probably trying to hatch, I never expected it so soon, they're not due to hatch until Wednesday! So I left it anyway, is it likely to make it hatching out on only day 17? I think it was still alive, is blood supposed to come out of it like that? I have never hatched before so I have no idea. It didn't feel very warm like no one had been sitting on it for a while-do the broodies stop sitting on it once it starts pipping? Anyway I'm feeling pretty bad today with everything going wrong!

I agree with 16 paws, blood on day 17 (and blood in general) is not a good sign.. it's possible that your first thought was right, and it did get cracked.

And no, the broodies do not stop sitting once it peeps, quite the opposite - they will sit tight until it hatches... Maybe you can just start over if they are still determined? Not sure what your setup is, are they separated from the others? It might be a safer bet to separate.

I have had several hatches with missing eggs also, Never did figure out what happened to them.

Take care
Marie

Just something I thought I should share... I saw one of mine (Bonnie) actually carry out a cracked egg and dispose of it quite far from the nest... I didn't think it was possible, but apparently it is, even with her temporary nest which was about 3 feet off the floor.

Sonya9,

Guess what the chickens showed me under a lemon tree yesterday?

A curled up rattlesnake!!!!!
Freaked me out......
This is the second one in about 2 weeks that we had to destroy. I don't know if you heard me talk about it before but last year 2 rattlers got into the dog run and killed my little yorkie Abby. Saddest thing I have ever gone thru. Tried to save her at the vet (3 different ones) and $3.500 later she still died.One treated her for shock, the other gave her the anti-venom and the third was a hospital that could keep her on a 24 hour watch. My heart is broken over her passing. She really suffered bad. I still cry for her.
We have disposed of 3 rattlers since.
That is why I hate snakes.
Sorry about everything that happened to you and your flock. I understand your pain.

Marie

Losing a dog to a snake is just too awful to even contemplate... I hate snakes too, but I'd probably go on a snake hunting spree if that happened to me. So sorry!

 

[Sonya9]

Sonya9,
Guess what the chickens showed me under a lemon tree yesterday?

A curled up rattlesnake!!!!!
Freaked me out......
This is the second one in about 2 weeks that we had to destroy. I don't know if you heard me talk about it before but last year 2 rattlers got into the dog run and killed my little yorkie Abby. Saddest thing I have ever gone thru. Tried to save her at the vet (3 different ones) and $3.500 later she still died.One treated her for shock, the other gave her the anti-venom and the third was a hospital that could keep her on a 24 hour watch. My heart is broken over her passing. She really suffered bad. I still cry for her.
We have disposed of 3 rattlers since.
That is why I hate snakes.
Sorry about everything that happened to you and your flock. I understand your pain.

Marie

So sorry to hear you lost your little dog to a snake bite. Small dogs often can't survive them. They do have shots now for rattler venom, it won't prevent all complications but after having the shots the dog's blood somehow coagulates and manages to stop much of the venom damage.

My dogs have found 3 snakes (2 large rattlers and 1 adolescent copperhead) in the yard. Thank god each time they started barking up a storm and I got them inside before anyone was bit. Each time the snakes hauled their little butts (or should I say vents) out of the yard as fast as they could, heading straight for the closest fence line. They aren't stupid!

I don't kill them, they were here long before my kind showed up. I also keep pet garter snakes which makes me feel protective towards their wild brethren as well. If the same venomous snake kept coming into the dog yard repeatedly I might resort to violence though, but so far each time a snake got in the yard it appears to have regretted the mistake and didn't come back.

 

[Sonya9]

In my news, one of Pallina's chicks disappeared without a trace a few days ago, and I also suspect a snake, as we have no other predators here. They are free ranging now though, and this was a chick that tended to go off on his own a lot... I guess I have to accept those things can happen with free ranging, unless I want to keep them all closed in at all times. No way I can snake proof the entire backyard, unfortunately...

I also have 4 new arrivals with my co-parents:

-----------------------------

I agree with 16 paws, blood on day 17 (and blood in general) is not a good sign.. it's possible that your first thought was right, and it did get cracked.

And no, the broodies do not stop sitting once it peeps, quite the opposite - they will sit tight until it hatches... Maybe you can just start over if they are still determined? Not sure what your setup is, are they separated from the others? It might be a safer bet to separate.

--------------------------------

Just something I thought I should share... I saw one of mine (Bonnie) actually carry out a cracked egg and dispose of it quite far from the nest... I didn't think it was possible, but apparently it is, even with her temporary nest which was about 3 feet off the floor.

Sorry to hear about your missing chick. You have still done amazingly well! Much higher survival rate!

And yes blood is never a good sign. Interesting to hear you have actually SEEN a hen carrying out a bad egg! Gosh they are smart mamas. I know one egg cracked when my girls were sitting and it got carried out stuck like glue to one of the broody's feathers.

Congrats on the new chicks! Are some of those the Ameracauna babies you were talking about?

 

[ItalyChickie]

Sorry to hear about your missing chick. You have still done amazingly well! Much higher survival rate!

And yes blood is never a good sign. Interesting to hear you have actually SEEN a hen carrying out a bad egg! Gosh they are smart mamas. I know one egg cracked when my girls were sitting and it got carried out stuck like glue to one of the broody's feathers.

Congrats on the new chicks! Are some of those the Ameracauna babies you were talking about?

The only reason I actually saw Bonnie carry out a bad egg is because I listen very very closely when there are chicks due to hatch. The coop is right below the room where I work, so when I heard the commotion (she made angry noises and flapped her wings), I went to see what was happening, just in time to see her drop an egg on the ground. I am not even sure how exactly she carried it, but I'm 100% sure it was in the nest under her before that, so somehow she did.

Sorry for the breed confusion! Ameraucana eggs were the last time around, but they never hatched, the only ones that did were Araucana and mixed Araucanas, so EEs. I have had bad luck with shipments, this time it was also delayed one day, and very few of them hatched, but the 2 black chicks are Australorps, the less fluffy yellow one was a surprise egg, and the fluffier yellow one is Bonnie's egg (x white Silkie roo, looks like s/he took after dad).

Hope your remaining little family is doing ok!

 

[Sonya9]

I have had bad luck with shipments, this time it was also delayed one day, and very few of them hatched, but the 2 black chicks are Australorps, the less fluffy yellow one was a surprise egg, and the fluffier yellow one is Bonnie's egg (x white Silkie roo, looks like s/he took after dad).

Hope your remaining little family is doing ok!

Do you check for detached air cells when the shipped eggs arrived? With the eggs I had shipped only 1 had a detached air cell and that one never even started to develop. Good packaging during shipment makes a huge difference.

Yes the two remaining chicks are doing good. I mentioned the one pullet was very very ill and nearly died a few days ago (I am very surprised she survived the illness and also quite surprised she survived the snake attack, I know she was on the coop floor that night and she was the slowest of the chicks), she is finally "100% back to normal" so I am relieved.

I am busy redoing the chicken door today, painting it and added an extra lock. I find myself waking up at night worrying about something getting into the coop again, the extra slide bolt will make the coop extra secure.

 

[ItalyChickie]

Do you check for detached air cells when the shipped eggs arrived? With the eggs I had shipped only 1 had a detached air cell and that one never even started to develop. Good packaging during shipment makes a huge difference.

Yes the two remaining chicks are doing good. I mentioned the one pullet was very very ill and nearly died a few days ago (I am very surprised she survived), she is finally "100% back to normal" so I think she will make it. I really haven't been to sure about her since the illness.

I am busy redoing the chicken door today, painting it and added an extra lock. I find myself waking up at night worrying about something getting into the coop again, the extra slide bolt will make the coop extra secure.

Yes, I checked the air cells, and it was the culprit with the Ameraucana eggs (last time around).

This time though, it was a seller who did an amazing job on the packaging the time before, and both times none had detached air cells - but the shipment had been delayed by the postal service due to some technical issues, and with temps in the 40s Celsius (around 105 F), the damage could have been easily done simply by storing them somewhere too warm for that extra day.

I am glad to hear the remaining chicks are doing well, and especially that the pullet has recovered! Hope the broody is also over her shock, it must have been the hardest for her...

Extra security is always good, hopefully you will also worry less with the extra lock in place, though I know it's hard to stop worrying after something like this.

 

[jools2014]

Thanks for the replies, sorry not sure how to quote separate people. So sorry people have had such awful problems with snakes that's really terrible.


I'm feeling a bit down that my hatch was a disaster, my first hatch and one pips at day 17! Actually even before day 17 as I set them at night and it had pipped by the morning of day 17, totally wasn't expecting it. Reason I think it had pipped rather than just got cracked somehow is because there was a straightish line around the middle of the egg and that's what I read happens when it pips. I have just left it in the nest and not even dared look there again as I don't want to interfere. I just know there isn't a chick yet! So I'm guessing it's died anyway. I don't know why it should pip early since it's not been that hot, unless it's because it's stuck under 2 fluffy big warm Buff Orpingtons sharing it! I read they can take nearly 2 days to hatch so maybe it pipped and then was going to rest for a couple days. But it'd still be early even if it took 2 days it'd be only on day 18/19 when it hatched. And the blood scared me.

So the plan now is to see if the one remaining egg hatches, and if it does go out and buy some more chicks to keep it company. I should've just done that in the first place but I've found it hard to get any day olds in my area, but I think I have found a place now. Failing that I can have them sit on the only other eggs I'm getting from one bird, but I don't like to have them sitting for so long-one has already been sat for 3 weeks, then to have them sit for another 3 weeks probably isn't good for them and risks them getting fed up and giving up as well. I feel so bad that they got to almost hatching and then it went wrong. Feel bad for the chicks and bad for the hens who are so desperate to be mammas! Fascinating that a hen could carry a bad egg out, my nesting box is well off the floor too. I just hope a rat didn't get in, saw it was pipping and take it? If it goes wrong again I think I'll give up as it's not meant to be, can't help but take it to heart, but I know lots of people lose chicks, suppose it's just one of those things.