Help Please Do we have lift off? Yes we do!! UPDATE

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

I think we have our first sign of hatching. I just went out to check on Gussie and I lifted her up a bit to look underneath (and to pull out the egg that Ms Rosie kindly deposited today) and one of the eggs has a little chip out of the shell that looks like it may have been popped off from the inside.

Is it bad if I keep going out and lifting Gussie up and having a look throughout the day?

Oh, the excitement.

Should I leave food and water in the private suite (travel kennel in the chicken house) and the door closed or leave food and water in it, but leave the door open?

Should I leave the straw in there, or should I replace it with the sawdust pellets (dampened to break it down into sawdust) like I have in the rest of the coop?

I know these have probably all been asked before, but I am a little stressed out over the whole thing. Feller leaves for his 6 month Post Doc position in Ohio on Monday, he leaves for a friends weekend wedding this afternoon (not to return until Sunday) and I just don't have the time or the energy to troll through all the posts for my answers.

 

[SarahFair]

Stand back!
Do not lift the hen off the nest..

The door open vs closed depends on if shes around anything (including other chickens) that could get to her or the chicks.
You cant leave them closed in there forever though

Id wait till all the chicks hatch and then maybe replace it..
For some reason though I get a feeling you shouldnt have sawdust.
I could be wrong.
Maybe do a search?

 

[macmama]

I wouldn't use sawdust either just because it seems like it might clog their tiny little respiratory systems... but that's completely going off of gut-feeling, not scientific fact.

I was a bad girl and lifted my broody several times during hatching... then I read about someone who did that and the last couple of chicks got shrinkwrapped and died. So I panicked and thought for sure I was a murderer. Luckily they all hatched out fine, but lesson learned. This time I'll try to sit on my hands!

I would shut the door and leave it shut for a day or 2 after hatching. Mama usually won't get off the nest for a while after the last one hatches. At that point the chicks will be strong, fluffy, and ready to venture out with mama. (unless you have aggressive hens or your broody is low in the pecking order... in that case I'd separate them for a few weeks) I separated mine for a week, then when it was apparent that mama wanted out I let them rejoin the flock, and found it was no big deal. I shouldn't have even bothered separating them-- mama protected her chicks really well. (but I only have 4 other hens, and they're pretty chill)

Good luck with the hatch, it's so exciting!

 

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

Quote:
I only have 2 other hens, and Gussie is the biggest of the 3.

I have to admit, I did go and have another peek. There is a bigger hole, but it almost seems like it is pecked in rather than out.

I have closed the door and will resist the urge to lift the hen. But, how will I know when all the eggs have hatched?

Once I open the door an the chickies are trundling in and out, should I only feed the poultry starter mash for all (with oyster shell available for the big laying girls?

 

[katharinad]

It usually looks like a little outward dimple when it starts. A bad egg usually show a hair line crack followed by nasty smelling leakage. You can usually smell the bag egg before it explodes. I think you egg is hatching, so leave it alone.
Katharina

 

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

ACK!

I just looked at the label of poultry starter I bought yesterday and it says crumbles. Will that work, or should I get mash?

Gosh, I am more nervous about this than I was about my own babies.

 

[SarahIrl]

Crumbles is just fine, good luck!

 

[newchickmom09]

Quote:
Crumbles should be fine. If they hatch and the pieces are to big then just throw some feed in a grinder or if you don't have a grinder then put it in a zip lock bag and hit with a hammer.

In a few days they will be able to eat the crumble if they can't at first so don't worry.

 

[macmama]

Quote:
I only have 2 other hens, and Gussie is the biggest of the 3.

I have to admit, I did go and have another peek. There is a bigger hole, but it almost seems like it is pecked in rather than out.

I have closed the door and will resist the urge to lift the hen. But, how will I know when all the eggs have hatched?

Once I open the door an the chickies are trundling in and out, should I only feed the poultry starter mash for all (with oyster shell available for the big laying girls?

Well you'll definitely hear peeping after they're hatched-- and you can tell when it's more than one little voice. I have to admit that even when I found out what not to do, I still peeked... but just really quickly and I only let myself do it every 2 hours. For the food... I made a little "chick feeder" out of a box with a tiny hole cut in the side. Only the chicks can go in there, so the hens can't eat their chick starter. I just kept feeding my big girls pellets-- the babies are too tiny to eat them anyway, and they seem more interested in foraging with mama for grass and bugs anyway.

Good luck, let us know when they hatch!

 

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

When I went out to check on Gussie, I heard PEEPING!!! Woohoo. I have no idea how many of the 5 yet or whether any have escaped their shells, but I will be patient (which is very hard for me as patience is definitely not one of my virtues).