Help broody hen & hatching

[Ashcole]

Can someone please help. I have a broody hen who was determined to sit so we let her. I tried to make sure all eggs were from the same day so they’d hatch at the same time I even marked them with an X. I go to check a few days later and found 6 extra eggs. My daughter apparently added a few extra for her. So the eggs she originally had was all from the same day and the added would’ve been 1-3 days difference. I was initially not trying to disturb or discourage her from sitting. Today is day 21 I went out this afternoon and found 1 baby fully dry and fluffed with mom outside of the nest, 2 others hatched but still in the dry but wet looking stage and 1 that had almost completely came out of the shell but sadly was deceased. Mom was off the eggs and I’m not sure how long I did not check them last night A’s everything I read said to leave her alone the last few days as it got closer to day 21. I took all 3 babies and put them in a make shift brooder as I was going to let mom do everything. But since she moved off the eggs I thought taking them would make her get back on the remaining eggs. She is currently back on and I did notice when I was looking that one had pipped a small piece of the outer shell was gone I could see baby moving and hear little chirps but unsure how long baby has been like that. She currently has 13 eggs left.

Should I help the chick the started to pip or is there a time to know when to intervene if it doesn’t progress? Should I keep removing the babies so she’ll continue to sit? How long should I let her continue to sit or how can I tell if the remaining are still viable? Any help or insight is greatly appreciated. I also DO NOT have an incubator. Which if we ever decide to do this again I will most definitely be purchasing before hand to be safe.

This is Meeks’s first hatch she’s a red sexlink if that helps. I’m not sure how long she had been off the eggs they did feel cool to the touch but it was warm today around 90 outside.

Also, I’m sorry if this is all over the place I’m so stressed out as I’m sure she’s even more than I am but my little kids 3&4 are super excited and I don’t want to do anything to harm the rest or cause mom anymore stress.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello! Since she's off the nest I think she's done sitting. Do you have a heated blanket or heat lamps?

 

[NatJ]

I took all 3 babies and put them in a make shift brooder... I thought taking them would make her get back on the remaining eggs. She is currently back on...Should I keep removing the babies so she’ll continue to sit?

Since you do not have an incubator, I think what you are doing is probably a reasonable choice (putting chicks in the brooder, so the hen keeps sitting). You will probably be able to give the chicks back to her after the rest finish hatching (works with most hens, although of course nothing works with ALL chickens.)

There will probably come a point when she is just done sitting anyway, and will not go back on. At that point, you might as well let her have all the chicks, and give up on trying to have her sit on the rest for any longer.

Should I help the chick the started to pip or is there a time to know when to intervene if it doesn’t progress?

Here is a big article about when & how to assist chicks hatching:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

It is normal for a chick to pip and then stay that way for quite a while, absorbing the yolk, before it goes on to finish hatching. Waiting up to 24 hours, and sometimes even longer than that, is completely reasonable.

A quote from the article:
"If the chick is making yawning or eating motions, it's still absorbing the yolk. Leave it alone for now."

How long should I let her continue to sit or how can I tell if the remaining are still viable? Any help or insight is greatly appreciated. I also DO NOT have an incubator. Which if we ever decide to do this again I will most definitely be purchasing before hand to be safe.

Since you know the hatch is going to be a bit staggered, you could consider buying an incubator now, and transfering any remaining eggs into it. That works if you can buy one locally, or have it shipped fast. Of course it does not work if shipping would take a week or more.

For how long to let her sit, start with letting her sit as long as you are still finding pipped eggs or hatched chicks. Maybe check once or twice a day. You may be able to check by just sitting quietly to watch and listen, rather than needing to lift her off and look underneath. Or it may be easier to pick her up briefly and have a peek, then put her back and leave her alone again. I can't be sure which will work better for you, your hen, and this exact situation.

When you get to a point where it's been 12-24 hours with no more chicks, it could make sense to candle the eggs and see if there is any movement in them. Take eggs away from the hen, go into a completely dark place (like a closet or bathroom with no windows), and shine a bright light (flashlight or cell phone) through each egg. Bring an undeveloped egg in there with you, for comparison. Any egg that looks undeveloped is certainly not going to hatch.

Candling basic points: it helps to cup your hand around the top of the flashlight, and sit the egg on your hand (blocks the extra light that would shine out around the edges). An undeveloped egg should let light shine through all over, with a sort of shadow in the middle that is the yolk, and a lighter/brighter area that is the air cell at the big end. An egg that is almost ready to hatch should be mostly dark because it is full of chick, with a large empty air cell, and often some veins around the edge of the air cell.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ion-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs.47879/
This article has photos of eggs progressing through incubation, so you can see the changes.

I would probably take half the eggs from the hen at a time, so she has something to sit on while you work. If any still look alive (heartbeat, wiggling beak, etc) then give those back to her. If they all seem dead, tuck the hatched chicks under her and watch to see if she takes good care of them.

For any egg that you THINK is dead but you want to be sure before you get rid of it, you can start to open it from the big end (like in the assisted hatching article) and see what you find. If it really is dead, no harm done. If it really is alive, stop and tuck it back under the hen. (This is not a good idea for eggs that you know are alive, because it might be too soon for them to hatch. But for ones that you think are dead anyway, it can be reassuring to know it really was dead before you throw it out.)

This is Meeks’s first hatch she’s a red sexlink if that helps. I’m not sure how long she had been off the eggs they did feel cool to the touch but it was warm today around 90 outside.

Some eggs survive quite a lot of cooling and go on to hatch just fine, and some others do not. I would not give up on them yet, especially since you did find one pipped and peeping.

Also, I’m sorry if this is all over the place I’m so stressed out as I’m sure she’s even more than I am but my little kids 3&4 are super excited and I don’t want to do anything to harm the rest or cause mom anymore stress.

Yes, it can definitely be confusing and stressful. I hope it all goes well

 

[Ashcole]

Thank you so much for all of this! I checked this morning since I couldn’t sleep all night worrying and number 7 which almost zipped completely was quiet and not moving at all so I unfortunately knew that one was deceased. So what I did was took that one and practiced on it with the How To Assist A chick article. I figured I couldn’t hurt it and it be a little practice. I’m not sure what went wrong baby was fully formed, & didn’t look like No abnormalities. I did notice that it still hasn’t completely adsorbed all the yolk there was just a tiny bit still attached to its bottom. But now I’m wondering if my egg 13 is going to hatch it was pipped yesterday not sure how long before I seen it though or how long I should wait to do anything.
I did see and hear another baby chirping away in an egg so I’ll be checking on that throughout the day.
While she’s not happy with me sticking my hands in and messing with her she is letting me without pecking me too much or too hard but, she is letting me know she’s not happy with me at all. She will get extra treats when this is all over. I don’t know if I ever want to try this again since I wasn’t prepared at all. I’m all for letting nature take its course but I still feel guilty .

The 3 surviving chicks are doing well and getting stronger and later I will try to give them a tiny bit of water and some food.

 

[Ashcole]

Hello! Since she's off the nest I think she's done sitting. Do you have a heated blanket or heat lamps?

I do have a heat lamp but no heated blanket. She is sitting on the rest of the eggs and has been since last night. 2 more have pipped but the 3rd unfortunately didn’t survive. And I currently have the 3 chicks in a makeshift brooder with the heatlamp but I don’t have anything close that could catch fire or anything like that.

 

[Ashcole]

awe

Since you do not have an incubator, I think what you are doing is probably a reasonable choice (putting chicks in the brooder, so the hen keeps sitting). You will probably be able to give the chicks back to her after the rest finish hatching (works with most hens, although of course nothing works with ALL chickens.)

There will probably come a point when she is just done sitting anyway, and will not go back on. At that point, you might as well let her have all the chicks, and give up on trying to have her sit on the rest for any longer.


Here is a big article about when & how to assist chicks hatching:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

It is normal for a chick to pip and then stay that way for quite a while, absorbing the yolk, before it goes on to finish hatching. Waiting up to 24 hours, and sometimes even longer than that, is completely reasonable.

A quote from the article:
"If the chick is making yawning or eating motions, it's still absorbing the yolk. Leave it alone for now."


Since you know the hatch is going to be a bit staggered, you could consider buying an incubator now, and transfering any remaining eggs into it. That works if you can buy one locally, or have it shipped fast. Of course it does not work if shipping would take a week or more.

For how long to let her sit, start with letting her sit as long as you are still finding pipped eggs or hatched chicks. Maybe check once or twice a day. You may be able to check by just sitting quietly to watch and listen, rather than needing to lift her off and look underneath. Or it may be easier to pick her up briefly and have a peek, then put her back and leave her alone again. I can't be sure which will work better for you, your hen, and this exact situation.

When you get to a point where it's been 12-24 hours with no more chicks, it could make sense to candle the eggs and see if there is any movement in them. Take eggs away from the hen, go into a completely dark place (like a closet or bathroom with no windows), and shine a bright light (flashlight or cell phone) through each egg. Bring an undeveloped egg in there with you, for comparison. Any egg that looks undeveloped is certainly not going to hatch.

Candling basic points: it helps to cup your hand around the top of the flashlight, and sit the egg on your hand (blocks the extra light that would shine out around the edges). An undeveloped egg should let light shine through all over, with a sort of shadow in the middle that is the yolk, and a lighter/brighter area that is the air cell at the big end. An egg that is almost ready to hatch should be mostly dark because it is full of chick, with a large empty air cell, and often some veins around the edge of the air cell.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ion-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs.47879/
This article has photos of eggs progressing through incubation, so you can see the changes.

I would probably take half the eggs from the hen at a time, so she has something to sit on while you work. If any still look alive (heartbeat, wiggling beak, etc) then give those back to her. If they all seem dead, tuck the hatched chicks under her and watch to see if she takes good care of them.

For any egg that you THINK is dead but you want to be sure before you get rid of it, you can start to open it from the big end (like in the assisted hatching article) and see what you find. If it really is dead, no harm done. If it really is alive, stop and tuck it back under the hen. (This is not a good idea for eggs that you know are alive, because it might be too soon for them to hatch. But for ones that you think are dead anyway, it can be reassuring to know it really was dead before you throw it out.)


Some eggs survive quite a lot of cooling and go on to hatch just fine, and some others do not. I would not give up on them yet, especially since you did find one pipped and peeping.


Yes, it can definitely be confusing and stressful. I hope it all goes well

Thank you and Yes it is. I wish I had been better prepared. I intended to let nature take it course and whatever happened it happened but, I think that was easier said/thought then done. You and so many others who’ve commented and helped I am truly great full and thankful.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you so much for all of this! I checked this morning since I couldn’t sleep all night worrying and number 7 which almost zipped completely was quiet and not moving at all so I unfortunately knew that one was deceased. So what I did was took that one and practiced on it with the How To Assist A chick article. I figured I couldn’t hurt it and it be a little practice.

Good idea to practice on the deceased egg But sad that it died

I’m not sure what went wrong baby was fully formed, & didn’t look like No abnormalities. I did notice that it still hasn’t completely adsorbed all the yolk there was just a tiny bit still attached to its bottom.

I don't know all the things that can go wrong, but fully-formed chicks sometimes do die before or during hatching. Possible causes include things like temperature or humidity issues, or being squished, but there can also be things wrong with the chick itself that we may not be able to see (like something not formed properly inside.) Many of the issues are things you cannot do anything about (including temperature or humidity under a broody hen!)

The 3 surviving chicks are doing well and getting stronger and later I will try to give them a tiny bit of water and some food.

I would put food & water in their brooder now. Sometimes they want to eat and drink right away, sometimes they want to wait a day or so, so it is easiest to just provide it and let them choose.

It sounds like you are managing things pretty well, considering the complicated situation you are dealing with

 

[Ashcole]

Good idea to practice on the deceased egg But sad that it died


I don't know all the things that can go wrong, but fully-formed chicks sometimes do die before or during hatching. Possible causes include things like temperature or humidity issues, or being squished, but there can also be things wrong with the chick itself that we may not be able to see (like something not formed properly inside.) Many of the issues are things you cannot do anything about (including temperature or humidity under a broody hen!)


I would put food & water in their brooder now. Sometimes they want to eat and drink right away, sometimes they want to wait a day or so, so it is easiest to just provide it and let them choose.

It sounds like you are managing things pretty well, considering the complicated situation you are dealing with

Thank you, I’m trying even if only the 3 survive I’ll be fine with that. And just be better prepared as much as I can if we decide to let her do this again. One chick whom I think I missed 2 nights ago when I checked is doing great pretty sure it’s a day older. Drinking well not really interested in the food yet but chirping when it hears us. The other 2 I found yesterday are doing a lot better this morning/afternoon and will drink with encouragement but are starting to standing and walking around. But still tired I’m sure from the hatch so we are just keeping an eye on them.

 

[Ashcole]

Update checked on Meeka and found an egg that has pipped and broken some of the shell but not fully zipped around. Looks more like an odd circular shape with membrane still attached. It does kind of look like the membrane is turning a beige/tan color but I can still hear baby chirping in there. I think I see 2 more with little pips where the shell looks like a small crack slightly. I didn’t want to mess around with her too much but I am also scared to leave baby in since I’m not sure when this one started. The one I left last night @ 1am didn’t make it when I checked this morning at 9am. I’m wondering how long I should leave this one or if it would be better to take to the temporary brooder like I had set up for the others. I do have an extra heat lamp and set up if this would work. I’m just unsure and don’t want to do anything prematurely.

 

[NatJ]

Update checked on Meeka and found an egg that has pipped and broken some of the shell but not fully zipped around. Looks more like an odd circular shape with membrane still attached. It does kind of look like the membrane is turning a beige/tan color but I can still hear baby chirping in there. I think I see 2 more with little pips where the shell looks like a small crack slightly. I didn’t want to mess around with her too much but I am also scared to leave baby in since I’m not sure when this one started. The one I left last night @ 1am didn’t make it when I checked this morning at 9am. I’m wondering how long I should leave this one or if it would be better to take to the temporary brooder like I had set up for the others. I do have an extra heat lamp and set up if this would work. I’m just unsure and don’t want to do anything prematurely.

I'm not sure what to suggest about that one.

Depending on what time of day it is where you are, maybe give it a few more hours? That might leave enough time to try assisting before the day is out, if it has not hatched by then.