Helping late hatchlings

[Lobzi]

I have a broody hen who has not been doing a great job keeping her eggs warm. The result is her eggs are about a week late to hatch but they are alive as they wiggly and peep when I water candled them. I know that they have a yolk store for the normal incubation time of three weeks + a few days. Will I need to do anything to assist these late birds if they hatch successfully; In other words do I need to offer them food/water with a eye dropper immediately?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

If they are peeping they are internally pipped and breathing air about to hatch.

Week late is pretty drastic. Are they all her original eggs or did she get late deposits from other ladies? Maybe she had too many eggs to keep them all warm?

I just put feed (chick crumble or flock raiser) and water near by. If they were late hatchers, I might include some poultry nutri drench in the water. Also if she doesn't have any hatch you might consider adopting her a few feed store chicks (still very young).

 

[chickens really]

Are you sure she she was actually setting?..If they are still alive and Peeps are heard they will be fine..Keep waiting. No need to interfere...

 

[Lobzi]

Thanks for that advice. I always, and this time too, put food (wet and dry) in with broody mamas so they can eat and feed babies prior to leaving nest.