Help needed - broody hatching eggs- 2 died

[tjb]

Need Help...
broody is sitting on 9 eggs with 3 having hatched.... 2 completely hatched and were dead when my sister got home. So one hatched and drying out doing well. she has taken that one in the house as the hen is in the open yard and where it is, the chick will not be able to get to water.

So our question is, since we don't know why the first 2 died, should she try and move the broody and hen into a coop. she doesn't want to lose any more chicks. --she did see tiny ants right at the nest and is worried that the ants will kill the chicks

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Other chickens will kill the chicks. Is she separated from the flock? I generally put a little fence around the group for about a week or two. The chicks won't eat or drink for a day or two after hatch.

 

[tjb]

Other chickens will kill the chicks. Is she separated from the flock? I generally put a little fence around the group for about a week or two. The chicks won't eat or drink for a day or two after hatch.

'right now the hen is away from the coup and made nest in a tire in the goat pen. there has a separate brooding area in her chicken coup to move the chicks as they hatch. She can make a separate area in the coup so the other chickens can't get to her. She just wants to know if she can move the eggs and her still sit on them after the transition. would like to be able to keep the chicks with the mom as they hatch, Also, there are 9 eggs so they will be stagrard in hatching.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most setting hens will not be moved. They will want to return to the original nest site. If you don't pull the chicks as they hatch than the hen will generally get off the nest after 2 days after the first one hatched, and survived, to care for the chicks. The remaining eggs will be abandoned. That's the main problem with a staggered hatch.

If you pull the chicks and brood them yourself than the hen should continue to sit and hatch the remaining eggs. Just keep pulling the chicks.

 

[tjb]

Most setting hens will not be moved. They will want to return to the original nest site. If you don't pull the chicks as they hatch than the hen will generally get off the nest after 2 days after the first one hatched, and survived, to care for the chicks. The remaining eggs will be abandoned. That's the main problem with a staggered hatch.

If you pull the chicks and brood them yourself than the hen should continue to sit and hatch the remaining eggs. Just keep pulling the chicks.

Thanks so much for your help. Doing as advised!!