Help! Hatch day going bad.

[MarkJr]

Ok. I can do that. The boxes are bigger but not so big as to have room even for a chick sized feeder and waterer. I might just pull the wire off one of my windows and move it down. I can close one window for a day. I’ve got plenty of other ventilation. Thanks again. Hopefully after a day the other d’Uccle will calm down and not bother the chicks.

Once momma comes out of her trance, she should run defense for the chicks. The other hens will peck if the chicks invade their space, but not violently attack. The chicks will quickly learn safety is under momma.

 

[MarkJr]

I'm sorry for your loss. Definitely get momma some privacy, I second MarkJr's idea of trying to protect her where she is so she doesnt abandon the rest of the eggs. Unless that's impossible in which case I guess moving them carefully or kicking all the other birds out of the coop is your next best option.

For next time, my understanding of leaving them with the flock to help with integration is more like leaving them in a dog crate in the coop where the rest of the flock can see them but not interfere.

Mine sets where she wants, and I have zero issues. She’s ornery enough to fight a bull calf and momma cow to protect chicks though.

 

[gothicpicasso]

Mine sets where she wants, and I have zero issues. She’s ornery enough to fight a bull calf and momma cow to protect chicks though.

That’s the thing she’s been being protective. She would tolerate me to a point, since I was often bringing her treats while she sat. Even then once she had enough she would let me know and even would scream at me if I tried to clean the coop. Just this morning she stopped. She wasn’t protecting anything.

 

[MarkJr]

That’s the thing she’s been being protective. She would tolerate me to a point, since I was often bringing her treats while she sat. Even then once she had enough she would let me know and even would scream at me if I tried to clean the coop. Just this morning she stopped. She wasn’t protecting anything.

She just needs to get through the hatch.

 

[gothicpicasso]

I'm sorry for your loss. Definitely get momma some privacy, I second MarkJr's idea of trying to protect her where she is so she doesnt abandon the rest of the eggs. Unless that's impossible in which case I guess moving them carefully or kicking all the other birds out of the coop is your next best option.

For next time, my understanding of leaving them with the flock to help with integration is more like leaving them in a dog crate in the coop where the rest of the flock can see them but not interfere.

Once everyone is hatched I can move them into a kennel if I need to. And my coop is big enough that it will fit in there, might be a bit cramped but hey I can make it work. I also have a larger area in my nest box row, about three nest boxes wide I can screen off and it can hold momma, babies, and food and water. I can access it like any other nest box from the outside too. For now the rest of the flock is locked out of the coop. Thank you for your reply and help.

 

[MarkJr]

Once everyone is hatched I can move them into a kennel if I need to. And my coop is big enough that it will fit in there, might be a bit cramped but hey I can make it work. I also have a larger area in my nest box row, about three nest boxes wide I can screen off and it can hold momma, babies, and food and water. I can access it like any other nest box from the outside too. For now the rest of the flock is locked out of the coop. Thank you for your reply and help.

Are they going to start laying elsewhere and form a habit you’ll have to break?

 

[ackie]

Are they going to start laying elsewhere and form a habit you’ll have to break?

Oh, you're supposed to know where you hens lay eggs?
*hides momma that just showed up with 13 chicks*

 

[gothicpicasso]

Are they going to start laying elsewhere and form a habit you’ll have to break?

Well two had already laid for the day. It’s possible. I had to go, kids have to be at school and I had to be at work. My only quick fix was kicking them out. I can go at lunch and screen momma in and open the coop back up. That might be to late for laying. Still I think I’d rather have to break a bad habit than let any more babies die. I feel awful about that.

 

[MarkJr]

Well two had already laid for the day. It’s possible. I had to go, kids have to be at school and I had to be at work. My only quick fix was kicking them out. I can go at lunch and screen momma in and open the coop back up. That might be to late for laying. Still I think I’d rather have to break a bad habit than let any more babies die. I feel awful about that.

‘The devil you know’ works well. Just pointing it out.

Please update. I love broody mommas!!!

 

[gothicpicasso]

‘The devil you know’ works well. Just pointing it out.

Please update. I love broody mommas!!!

I will. I’ll post pics once it doesn’t look like a crime scene. This morning freaked me out. And I feel it was in part my own ignorance. I’d been watching momma carefully and she’d been doing a good job. I just didn’t realize she’d go into such a trance that she wouldn’t defend the nest. Now I know and I know to either move her to a kennel in the coop for hatching or to do a “lock down” by screening her nest off for hatch day. Thanks again to everyone for the help.