Help! Hen abandoned hatching chicks!

Date sort Score sort
He does have heat .. its at about 97F right now... and his egg i had warm damp paper towels around as well.. He was just born... I believe he had already used the bathroom in his shell though.. Does that run any risk.. I remember reading about it but I don't remember exactly what it said.. He also used the bathroom pretty much as soon as he was out. No bleeding and no umbilical cord issues..

Should I wait till he is dry to try to put him with mom and the other chicks since she isn't sitting on them right now?

 
Good job!! The goo in the shell is fine. I would let him dry out, and hope she comes back to the nest, then give him back to her. What about the other eggs?
 
Oh, you said she is sitting now... I'd still let him dry a little while first, and let him gather a little strength. But that's your call. You know your hen...
 
Two of the eggs I can clearly see liquid move when i tilt them, 3 have something but just in one end of the egg... They all end about the same place maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the way into the egg, I am assuming they are blood rings. Then two are full... Im not sure if the chicks are alive in them.. But the one with the bloody pick/pip mark (im not sure what made the spot) mark and one other clearly are full except for the air sac... But they are totally cold... Should I heat them back too 100F with moist paper towels around them and try?

 
First pic looks like nothing ever developed... infertile... I don't even see a blood ring, but definitely not a chick in there.

The other 2, well... how badly do you want to save them? I mean, you could try bringing them in, warm them up slowly though. Then try the float/wiggle test?
 
Just an update incase anyone was wondering... ( I hate wondering if eggs hatched or if a chicken or chick made it... so)

The chick I helped hatch and got info for here is doing well... He took a couple of days to walk and every once in a while he still stumbles... But he is starting to run around really well with the other chicks. I haven't had to bring him in to the heat lamp since the day after he hatched... He was born 4 days ago today... He is still slightly slower than the other chicks while running around and he still stays under mamma more.. But he is getting stronger everyday!

As for the other eggs. The two that candled for what looked like full term chicks never hatched. I float tested the one that didn't have a chip and it float tested good but there was no movement.

The first night I returned him to his momma it was so cute... She hadn't seen him. The only thing she had seen was an eraser sized hole in the egg before I took him to help him hatch and she had pecked at him when I showed her the hatching egg.. But that evening when I took him outside to her as soon as she seen him, she shifted, and raised up so he could get under her. I was so happy to see that. I was worried since he couldn't really walk that night and was still pretty weak that she would pick on him.. But she never touched him and took him right in... :)

Thanks for all the help :)

The is the chicky that I helped hatch.. I have been calling him Flufferbutt... He was supposed to have an herb name because his Momma's name is Jasmine and I was going to name all the chicks herb names... But we will see... lol

and below here he is with all his siblings and momma this morning... ( someone keeps dumping this feeder all over the floor and wasting it... No matter where I sit it.. silly chickens.. Im blaming momma though .. lol)


 
Last edited:
Thank you for the update! I hate wondering too. Glad to hear the one is gaining strength and doing well. Sorry about the others but it happens. Post some pics if you get a chance.
 

Similar threads

M
How long to let a hen keep sitting on her eggs
Replies
8
Views
731
Perris
Perris
N
Broody hen but eggs aren't hatching
Replies
7
Views
588
Nbrei
N
hollandhens24
Placing an internally pipped egg under a broody?
Replies
4
Views
708
hollandhens24
hollandhens24
F
    • Like
Broody hen needs to be moved
Replies
5
Views
424
AshVau22
AshVau22
Lulu-vt
Struggling with hatching eggs and broody hens
Replies
2
Views
636
Lulu-vt
Lulu-vt

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom