Help- advice needed

keystonepaul

Songster
11 Years
May 14, 2008
362
1
141
Pocono
broody's eggs are pipping. the first one pipped late last night and didn't make it out today. Don't know if she couldn't get through the membrane or the hen sat on her etc. etc. I have one that pipped and made it out of it's shell this evening. I have no food and water with them yet and she tucked well under the broody. There's a about 3 or 4 eggs left. Anyway it'll be mid 30's tonight and there's no heat in the hen house. How should I go about things. I was planning on putting her and her eggs in a plastic container on the floor (I did lower) the nesting boxes to the floor but thiers a lip the chicks may get over to get out but may get stuck outside, etc and there's little room in the nesting box thier in for the chick(s) to move around) and putting the chicks food and water to one side, but they pipped early (pipped on time I judged wrong) anyway should I leave things be tonight and transfer them all- mom,chick, eggs, etc to the plastic storage container tomorrow and give chick feed and water?, just take the chick out and put her in a brooder box? or take care of things tonight. Mom seems to be protective of her little one and has her tucked in well under her. I can get under the broody without her pecking she remains tolerant of me. Thanks for your time and thoughts. Keystonepaul
 
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I had a hen hatch out 5 babies in low 30s and upper 20s weather this last December. They were all fine and she even raised them outside. I did bring them all in at night after she had hatched them all and put them back out during the day. While they are under the hen they are warm and snug as a bug in a rug. JMO

eta: when I say 'brought them all in' I mean in the house by the heater. I am sure they would've been fine out in the cold but I am a softy
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Leave her be tonite. If the eggs have finished hatching you can move her in the morning. The chicks won't come out from under her in the dark. They can tolerate temps way below freezing and still do a nice job of raising chicks.

Jim
 

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