Hen became a mom, First time having chicks, any tips?

[WaterfowlsPoultry]

Hello everybody, I have a black australorp hen (I think) that layed eggs, sat on them for a while, we thought they would not ever hatch, and we were having issues because my cousin decided to grab random eggs and stuff them inside the nest where my chicken was, so now we don't know what's a fertilized and what's a regular old egg, So after a while I then noticed she's been on there for a while, I thought she would've died because when hens are broody they don't eat, but this very day, I came home from school, did my regular check and saw 3 baby chick's inside the nest, with the mother hen covering them, it seemed they were just born, I've never had chick's before, I've had some chickens like 1 month old but that's about it, is there anything I need to know beforehand? Should I leave it to the mother to figure things out?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Congratulations, how exciting! Yeah, she'll figure most of it out herself. And hens do eat when they're broody, you just may not notice it. Typically they get off the nest about once a day to eat, drink, dustbathe and release a big ol' stinky poop, then go back to set some more. If they didn't ... well, you can just imagine what the nest would look like! You can help by making food and water available to her. In a day or two she'll get off the nest and take her babies out for a stroll and some life lessons, like, what we eat and what we don't. How to peck and scratch. Little feeders with a Chick Start formula and waterers for the babies are a good idea. She can eat their food, it's high in protein. Any eggs left behind should be discarded.

In the future, hold eggs back for several days until you have as many as you want her to hatch. I think 12 is a good number, others may suggest different. Keep them at room temp in an egg carton, fat side up. Elevate one end of the carton by setting it on some books or the like. Every day, a couple times a day, elevate the other end. After several days when you're sure she's broody (she has slept in the nest 3 nights), mark the eggs by drawing a circle around them with crayon, pencil or permanent marker and give them to her. Either block off her nest and let her out every day for a break, OR check under her every day and remove any eggs that aren't marked. In 21 days the eggs should hatch. Have fun!

Oh, and - thanks for the pics of your babies! Can we see them in daylight?

 

[WaterfowlsPoultry]

Congratulations, how exciting! Yeah, she'll figure most of it out herself. And hens do eat when they're broody, you just may not notice it. Typically they get off the nest about once a day to eat, drink, dustbathe and release a big ol' stinky poop, then go back to set some more. If they didn't ... well, you can just imagine what the nest would look like! You can help by making food and water available to her. In a day or two she'll get off the nest and take her babies out for a stroll and some life lessons, like, what we eat and what we don't. How to peck and scratch. Little feeders with a Chick Start formula and waterers for the babies are a good idea. She can eat their food, it's high in protein. Any eggs left behind should be discarded.

In the future, hold eggs back for several days until you have as many as you want her to hatch. I think 12 is a good number, others may suggest different. Keep them at room temp in an egg carton, fat side up. Elevate one end of the carton by setting it on some books or the like. Every day, a couple times a day, elevate the other end. After several days when you're sure she's broody (she has slept in the nest 3 nights), mark the eggs by drawing a circle around them with crayon, pencil or permanent marker and give them to her. Either block off her nest and let her out every day for a break, OR check under her every day and remove any eggs that aren't marked. In 21 days the eggs should hatch. Have fun!

Oh, and - thanks for the pics of your babies! Can we see them in daylight?

Thank you! However I am having a small issue, We have a leghorn who laid some eggs and we think the eggs might hatch and the australorp might start taking care of the leghorns offspring, Will this be a problem?

 

[WaterfowlsPoultry]

Update: She has 7 chicks now!!!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you! However I am having a small issue, We have a leghorn who laid some eggs and we think the eggs might hatch and the australorp might start taking care of the leghorns offspring, Will this be a problem?

Not at all. Chickens is chickens. Unlike humans, they don't see color, and neither hen knows what egg/ chick came out of whose egg. A chicken will even sit on and hatch a duck egg and vice versa, or partridge, quail or any other bird egg you care to mention. No worries!


ETA: To clarify: I did not mean to say that chickens are literally color blind. What I meant is that chickens will accept chicks of any color, not just chicks that look like themselves. Is a hen even aware of what color she is, herself? I don't know. I think she'd have to look at herself in a mirror and to know that the image she sees is herself. Anyway. Any baby will do. That was my point. Sorry for any confusion.



Except a mother hen might panic when her duck baby goes for a swim ....

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Should I leave it to the mother to figure things out?

If you've got a heat lamp on her.. that red in the picture.. it should be removed. The hen can provide all the warmth for the babies.

Congrats on your new little family!

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Not at all. Chickens is chickens. Unlike humans, they don't see color, and neither hen knows what egg/ chick came out of whose egg. A chicken will even sit on and hatch a duck egg and vice versa, or partridge, quail or any other bird egg you care to mention. No worries!

Except a mother hen might panic when her duck baby goes for a swim ....

Actually, I do think chickens see color. When I have my fingernails green, they seem to peck them! lol but will not with any other color. But as for them knowing who's baby is who's, they really don't care, they view them as their babies!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Actually, I do think chickens see color. When I have my fingernails green, they seem to peck them! lol but will not with any other color. But as for them knowing who's baby is who's, they really don't care, they view them as their babies!

Sorry, I meant only that they do not "see color" in the way that humans do, as in: Waitaminnit! That baby's white! I'm a Black Australorp, something is very wrong here! Sorry kid, go find your own mama!" Yes of course they actually do see color in the world around them as people quickly discover who wear sandals and red toenails.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Sorry, I meant only that they do not "see color" in the way that humans do, as in: Waitaminnit! That baby's white! I'm a Black Australorp, something is very wrong here! Sorry kid, go find your own mama!" Yes of course they actually do see color in the world around them as people quickly discover who wear sandals and red toenails.

Yes, okay wasn't sure what you meant! Yep, I am the one with the long hair they love to get in, mom has the red coat! ❤

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yeah, I wasn't very clear. Thanks for calling me out!