Help! Will it work?

[shellyskier]

We have a couple barred rock chickens and wanted new chicks. We've had success with another chicken raising her babies and wanted to try this. The moms weren't interested in sitting on the eggs, but another chicken went broody (the same one who had give us 6 healthy babies before) and decided they were her eggs. Well they started hatching today, with 3 of 6 hatched. We found the dead bodies of the chicks...two tossed out of the nest and another still under the chicken. They had been pecked to death. The other eggs are starting to hatch...one even has a hole and is cheeping. We have no incubator. Is the broodbox heat lamp enough to keep them alive until they finish hatching? It is between 98 and 102 under it. Will this work? What other options do we have?

 

[MagpieDucks]

We have a couple barred rock chickens and wanted new chicks. We've had success with another chicken raising her babies and wanted to try this. The moms weren't interested in sitting on the eggs, but another chicken went broody (the same one who had give us 6 healthy babies before) and decided they were her eggs. Well they started hatching today, with 3 of 6 hatched. We found the dead bodies of the chicks...two tossed out of the nest and another still under the chicken. They had been pecked to death. The other eggs are starting to hatch...one even has a hole and is cheeping. We have no incubator. Is the broodbox heat lamp enough to keep them alive until they finish hatching? It is between 98 and 102 under it. Will this work? What other options do we have?

My suggestion is to separate the hen from the others. However this might be tricky as it is so close to hatch and the mother might not continue. If it is the other hens killing he chicks it is is the best option.If you try the heat lamp you will need to keep the humidity up. I have made this mistake before in a similar situation before and ended up shrink wrapping the egg.

 

[shellyskier]

My suggestion is to separate the hen from the others. However this might be tricky as it is so close to hatch and the mother might not continue.  If it is the other hens killing he chicks it is is the best option.If you try the heat lamp you will need to keep the humidity up. I have made this mistake before in a similar situation before and ended up shrink wrapping the egg.

Unfortunately it's the hen who's been sitting on the eggs 3 weeks who killed them. Any ideas how to keep the humidity up in an outdoor brooder when the chicks are already hatching?

 

[MagpieDucks]

My suggestion is to separate the hen from the others. However this might be tricky as it is so close to hatch and the mother might not continue.  If it is the other hens killing he chicks it is is the best option.If you try the heat lamp you will need to keep the humidity up. I have made this mistake before in a similar situation before and ended up shrink wrapping the egg.

Unfortunately it's the hen who's been sitting on the eggs 3 weeks who killed them. Any ideas how to keep the humidity up in an outdoor brooder when the chicks are already hatching?

Misting the eggs with warm water should work. It's best if the temp is at 99 to 100 degrees during lockdown and 60% (I think) humidity. Do you haves a hygrometer? (Like a thermometer only it measures humidity). @Sally Sunshine @WVduckchick

 

[shellyskier]

Misting the eggs with warm water should work. It's best if the temp is at 99 to 100 degrees during lockdown and 60% (I think) humidity. Do you haves a hygrometer? (Like a thermometer only it measures humidity). @Sally Sunshine @WVduckchick

It's an outdoor, slightly enclosed cage brooder so not a way to check humidity. I will do the warm water mist. Thank you.

 

[WVduckchick]

Can you bring the eggs inside?

 

[WVduckchick]

Have you removed the hen? If you can't bring the eggs inside, can you make some type of enclosure, or make a tent over the eggs with a bowl or something, and put a wet sponge to keep some moisture in. Don't get the eggs wet, and don't totally close it off with no air. It needs some vent holes. Try to keep the temp around 100 and hope for the best.

Good luck

 

[shellyskier]

Thanks for all the ideas. You guys are great! The chick that had already started hatching made it out without problems. Two left. We enclosed the brood box more and will try the sponge idea. The eggs are so close we expect they'll hatch tomorrow. I wish we'd caught the hen before she killed the other three, though.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thanks for all the ideas. You guys are great! The chick that had already started hatching made it out without problems. Two left. We enclosed the brood box more and will try the sponge idea. The eggs are so close we expect they'll hatch tomorrow. I wish we'd caught the hen before she killed the other three, though.

That's great news!! Congrats. Keep us posted please.

I'm on broody #19 and #20 just since January! Had 2 hens sitting together and one killed the first chick that hatched. A first for me. So it does happen. I also have a couple hens still separated from their flocks, opened one up to let them integrate the other day and found a dead chick in the run. I'm not sure who killed it, so back she went into separation. But I have 3 mommas raising 3 different broods, all under 6 weeks old, in the same pen, helping each other like good girls! Broodies are unpredictable!

 

[shellyskier]

Still only the one chick. I think the last two eggs may not hatch due to my inability to keep them at a stable temp. We figured it was better to not have them hatch than hatch and be pecked to death. Still holding some hope for one more day. But we're buying a companion for the chick so it isn't lonely.