Hen and chick.

[ag8chick]

I am new to hatching chicks. One of my hens went broody, so I decided to let her sit. Well today the first egg hatched. She is in the coop/run with all my other chickens. I am concerned the other hens will hurt the new baby. Can or should I move the new baby under the lamp? The other eggs haven’t started pipping yet. I’m not exactly sure how many out of the 7 will hatch. My question is, should I move the baby chick until more has hatched? Or will it be safe in the coop with all the other chickens. Thank I’m advance

 

[sourland]

If you are expecting a staggered hatch, I would move the chick so that the hen does not leave the nest. Did you candle the eggs?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am new to hatching chicks. One of my hens went broody, so I decided to let her sit. Well today the first egg hatched. She is in the coop/run with all my other chickens. I am concerned the other hens will hurt the new baby. Can or should I move the new baby under the lamp?

You can move it to your brooder. You might be able to give it back to the broody to raise or you may have to raise it yourself. When you are dealing with living animals you never know for sure what will happen.

I personally don't remove the chick and have never had a chick injured by another hen. Other people on this forum that I trust say they have. Each chicken is an individual with its own personality and each flock has its own dynamics. Our nests, coops, and runs look different too. I don't know what will happen with yours, you just can't tell with living animals.

The other eggs haven’t started pipping yet. I’m not exactly sure how many out of the 7 will hatch.

Sourland asked a good question. Are you expecting a staggered hatch? Were all the eggs started at the same time or was the start staggered so the hatch can stretch out over several days. It's not unusual for a hatch to stretch out more than two days, the hen and the chicks should be able to handle that. Longer than three days and it becomes a problem. If you have a staggered hatch you have a totally different situation. If you are expecting a staggered hatch let us know so we can discuss options.

My question is, should I move the baby chick until more has hatched? Or will it be safe in the coop with all the other chickens.

Mine always have been but I don't know what will happen with yours. I can't give guarantees with living animals, especially when I have no idea what your facilities look like or anything about your flock. Since this is the first hatch in your flock no one can know what the flock dynamics might look like. But I'll repeat myself again, I don't remove them and it's never been a problem.

 

[ag8chick]

I guess I have a staggering hatch, because my day 21 was estimated for tm, yesterdays hatch was a surprise. I did just candle them and 6 have definite movement. And two of those are pipping now. So I would assume within a 3 day span they will all be hatched? I’m not really sure. I have done multiple checks on baby, and it seems fine so far. What do I need to know about staggering hatching? Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is not unusual for chicks to hatch a day or even two early or late, whether in an incubator or under a broody hen. That chick hatching two days early doesn't mean you have a staggered hatch. A staggered hatch is when the eggs start incubation days apart so hatching is days apart.

Before they hatch the chick absorbs the yolk. They can live on that yolk for over three days before they need to eat and drink. That's nature's way to handle the chicks not all hatching exactly in 21 days. I don't see that you have a problem with that just because of the early hatch. The problem with a staggered hatch is not early hatching, it's that some are very late.

The problem with a real staggered hatch is that the first to hatch get hungry and thirsty after a while and Mama has to decide whether to take the hatched chicks off to find food and drink or stay to hatch the remaining eggs and let the first chicks starve. They practically always abandon the nest to take care of the hatched chicks.

There are different ways to handle a staggered hatch. You might let nature take its course, the late eggs don't hatch. You can put the late eggs in an incubator and try to hatch them yourself. Some people try to make a homemade incubator just for hatching. Or maybe another hen is broody. Some people try to remove the chicks as they dry off in the hope that Mama stays on the nest. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.

An unplanned staggered hatch is usually very stressful and often not successful, at least with the later eggs. That chick hatching early does not mean you have one. You are probably OK.

The next time you have a broody and want to hatch eggs, collect all you want her to hatch and start them at the same time. Mark them and remove any unmarked eggs daily if any show up. That way you know you don't have a staggered hatch.