HELP ASAP!!!! hen left hatching eggs

[bald k9]

Hello can someone tell me what to do, my hen left the nest with 5 chicks ,but eggs are still there ,when i was cleaning up, i heard peeping, what do i do ???? it is a staggered hatch im sure, i do not have an incubator, so i just put them on a plate with a towel and a large glass bowl over the plate ,and heat lamp over that, [i do have the glass raised for air flow and a wet sponge inside , what should i do ,is this right? thanks

 

[Gypsy07]

Sounds like about the best you can do in the absence of a proper incubator! If you can hear peeping from the eggs that means the chicks have pipped through to the air sac so will probably be hatching within 48 hours. Doesn't sound like a proper staggered hatch so much as eggs that were all sat on at the same time but maybe these ones weren't sat on quite as thoroughly as the others.

I have a broody sitting on 8 eggs just now, and a week or so ago I found her sitting on 5 and with 3 out behind her. I reckon the eggs somehow got rolled into two separate piles and she just picked the biggest pile to keep sitting on. I tucked the 3 back in underneath her and I expect if they do hatch that they might be a bit late.

If you can get a thermometer inside your glass bowl that might be a good idea, just to make sure you're not overheating your eggs. if they hatch, you can probably tuck tehm back in under the hen at night and she should accept them okay. Good luck and please let us know how it turns out!

 

[bald k9]

thanks what should the temp be?

 

[rancher hicks]

One thing to be aware of when broodies have alot of eggs. Please remember this.

"It's really better to take the first - hatched chicks in to your house for a while as soon as they've dried off under the hen. Then the hen gives more heat and more attention to the unhatched ones. Whereas if you don't take them in, quite often she'll get excited over some of them and mash them, you see, so you'll find a few dead ones. You're ahead of the game if you take them in the house." - Minnie Rose Luvgreen's Recipe for Raising Chickens.

OP I've had this happen with hens before and forgot this lesson. After she's done hatching you can either raise the ones you take yourself or try to put them back under her.. I have a friend who has three hens sharing one chick.

I wish you the best,

Rancher

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
I'd reckon about 99-100F, not any higher. In a still air bator (no fan), recommended temp is 101F at the top of the egg, but this close to hatching a degree or two lower is perfectly okay and you want to be careful about not overheating them.

I didn't know what Rancher Hicks said about taking away the first chicks but it definitely makes sense. I'll remember that when my hen's chicks start hatching.

 

[bald k9]

One thing to be aware of when broodies have alot of eggs. Please remember this.

"It's really better to take the first - hatched chicks in to your house for a while as soon as they've dried off under the hen. Then the hen gives more heat and more attention to the unhatched ones. Whereas if you don't take them in, quite often she'll get excited over some of them and mash them, you see, so you'll find a few dead ones. You're ahead of the game if you take them in the house." - Minnie Rose Luvgreen's Recipe for Raising Chickens.

wow that sounds so easy now LOL ,thank you i will know better for next time