HELP Pleeeease!

[poupoule]

My hen has been sitting nicely on 11 eggs (3 hers and some from other hens that we introduced 2 days later she started sitting). Three lovely cute chicks hatched on monday (they were due today!), but today she left the nest with the other 8 eggs.

There should only be 2 more days to go before hatching. What should I do? I really want those eggs to hatch !!

I've read I can use an electric saucepan on the lower setting with a damp towel as an incubator. Does anybody know which temperature the eggs need? Does anyone has try this before?

Please help me!

 

[KittyKelly]

Maybe u could move her and her chicks to a box with the eggs in them...big enough to put food and water but small enough where she won't have a choice but to sit on them.....?????

 

[hinkjc]

It is never a good idea to have a staggered hatch under a hen. It is her job to leave the nest with her babies to teach them the world. I would run out and get yourself an incubator at TSC or your feed store.

 

[KittyKelly]

but do you think my suggestion would work??....so she doesn't have to spend all that $$ on an incubator??

 

[hinkjc]

She may sit on the eggs overnight, but during the day, she is going to try to leave the nest again. I'm not sure how you could force her to sit on them. It is their instinct to abandon the nest when they think the hatch is done.

 

[KittyKelly]

It wouldn't hurt to try.

 

[Nicola]

Dont some people take the chicks away from the hen...and put them in a brooder inside..so the hen continues sittin on the eggs.?

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:
I did this and it worked for me. I didn't give her eggs for a staggering hatch, but she is the biggest egg thief I have. If it looks like an egg, it's hers. I just didn't realize she had done it. So, I took the chicks, brought them in and she continued to set on the rest of the eggs.

 

[eekgads]

I think Nicola is correct about putting the first hatchers in a brooder until the rest appear.

As for putting the rest of the eggs in an electric saucepan w/ a damp towel, good luck. The pans that I've seen usually start at 250 degrees F. The incubator needs to be at around 100 degrees w/ 80% humidity. That's going to be tough to duplicate w/ that saucepan.

I vote for taking away the chicks & restricting the broody hen to the nest first.

Good luck!

 

[KittyKelly]

Quote:
I agree with this too.