Hen pecking at chick in egg HELP!!!

[stacibful]

Thank you so much!! She's really pushing now and I see some zipping going on. She's already pushed more shell off but there's still membrane. I did wet it a bit and I have her sitting on a wet dish rag (no paper towels) I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

The chick would most likely hatch fine under the mother as long as the other broody can't get at the chicks. That's a bit of an issue for sure.

A chick can take quite a while to zip after pipping. Some hatch really fast...and some can be slow. If she's going at it that's great!

The humidity from the hen really helps for hatching. Did the mom get up to eat? Or how did broody #1 get at the chick?

 

[stacibful]

No momma #2 never moves. I really don't know. I walked out to check on them because it's really hot here today and momma #1 was pecking at it and the other momma wasn't doing anything about it.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I've had two broodies sitting together but no ones offered to peck at anything. Your #1 broody isn't very nice...lol.

When I first read your post, I misunderstood thinking "both" broodies had pecked their eggs. It's too bad #2 didn't do anything when #1 was pecking at her egg.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

If there appears to be no blood at all in the membrane, I have helped the chick with the top part of the egg and let them push out of the egg themselves in the incubator.
Sometimes the yolk may not be absorbed if the chick hatches too quickly. That's one thing to watch out for.

The chick will still need to be kept at a fairly warm temperature while it's hatching and afterwards. If kept in the house the temps supposed to be approx. 99.5 for new chicks. I use a heat lamp and measure the temps under it at chick level before I add the chick.

 

[stacibful]

She made it out!!! Yay!!! Yolk fully absorbed, blood vessels all dried up. Ahhh!!! So excited

 

[ChickNanny13]

Not experienced in hatching but reading Wickedchicken6 last two posts sound RIGHT. Keep it damp so the membrane don't dry up & stick to the chick. I would remove Broody #1, give #2 the unhatched eggs....If you allow Broody #1 to hatch again and she does this again, I'd cull her or give her away. She's not going to change, just my thoughts. Good luck.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

She made it out!!! Yay!!! Yolk fully absorbed, blood vessels all dried up. Ahhh!!! So excited

That's fantastic!!!!

I'm SO glad everything turned out well!

(Whew!)

Not experienced in hatching but reading Wickedchicken6 last two posts sound RIGHT. Keep it damp so the membrane don't dry up & stick to the chick. I would remove Broody #1, give #2 the unhatched eggs....If you allow Broody #1 to hatch again and she does this again, I'd cull her or give her away. She's not going to change, just my thoughts. Good luck.

I concur with ChickNanny about the broodies as well. Broody #1 is causing more problems than there needs to be.
If she was mine and she repeated the picking, I'd find her a new home. Or make certain she has no opportunity to do it again.
(Hopefully she's just young and inexperienced and doesn't do this again.)

I've only had broodies this spring so I'm very new to (broody) hatching. I'm still learning myself actually...lol.
I was able to combine three broodies and their chicks and they co-broodied together.
Out of 7 broodies, no one's picked at all.
(Thanks for the vote of confidence ChickNanny!) I appreciate that.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

She made it out!!! Yay!!! Yolk fully absorbed, blood vessels all dried up. Ahhh!!! So excited

Congrats!!

That's fantastic!!!!

I'm SO glad everything turned out well!

(Whew!)



I concur with ChickNanny about the broodies as well. Broody #1 is causing more problems than there needs to be.
If she was mine and she repeated the picking, I'd find her a new home. Or make certain she has no opportunity to do it again.
(Hopefully she's just young and inexperienced and doesn't do this again.)

I've only had broodies this spring so I'm very new to (broody) hatching. I'm still learning myself actually...lol.
I was able to combine three broodies and their chicks and they co-broodied together.
Out of 7 broodies, no one's picked at all.
(Thanks for the vote of confidence ChickNanny!) I appreciate that.

I just saw my notification for being tagged. Good job helping!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote: Thank you and thanks for dropping in!

You have more incubating experience, I wasn't sure if you had experience with broodies.
I thought I should tag you.