Hhheeeeelllllllppppp!

[rancher hicks]

I've got a hen that hatched a chick.
she had 6 eggs.
one hatched today and she and it were off the nest.
I got her back on the the nest with the chick
I just found them cannibalizing an unhatched chick
It was alive but died after I took it out.
What do I do?
I ahve a hen that keep trying to go broody.
Should I put the left over eggs under her?
Not sure the new mom will stay on the other 4 eggs.
Should I just take the eggs and toss them?
I suppose I have nothing to lose by moving the leftover eggs right?

 

[rancher hicks]

It looks like she may settle in I've turned of the lights and it's dark. Not to dark but dark..

 

[chickenlady08]

I just had a broody WJG hen hatch out 1 baby. She had 6 other eggs viable and for some odd reason they hatched out later than the original lone chick did. Well they hatched and I tried to put them under the momma hen and all seemed fine and then the next morning the one original baby and the momma was on one side of the pen and the other 6 babies were on the other. I took them out because I didn't want to risk her harming them. Oh and she also sat on those eggs the whole time and would periodically got up with the hatched baby. I guess that could have had something to do with the stagered hatch dates. I plan on putting them under several other broody that I have in my coop now. I just have to find a new place for them to be safe. My broody hen coop has 6 girls that are recooperating from some rough rooster mating.

Good Luck with your hatch and I would definitely put them under your other hen. Save wear and tear on her body and still have babies.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

I have had really good luck with giving eggs and/or babies to another broody hen in similar circumstances... but I always do the transfer after dark when everyone has settled. Go for it and good luck.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well she got off them. I think because the chick got out of the nest and wouldn't stay in it. So she was outside the nest covering the chick.
I took the four remaining eggs and moved them to the broodies in the coop. One I think I heard peeping in. I didnt' know what else to do. Oh one had a piece of shell missing but the membrane was there.
Well shall see.
The broodies seemed ok with the new eggs. As it was they were sitting on wooden eggs. I gave one three and one one. Will it throw them off or if they hatch will they just stop being broody?

 

[mmaddie's mom]

In my experience the broody will be thrilled to be a new mommy.

I have also been able to give any newly hatched back to the original mommy if it has only been a day or two between... but I only make these kind of transfers at night when everyone is tucked in and I don't let the mom see what I am tucking under her... in the morning it's like, "Oh, look... another one!" Most times this works but, be warned, occassionally it doesn't.

Your best bet is to let the broodies be new mommies and then they will stop being broody.

I have also brought babies, a couple of days old, home from the Sale Barn and have put them under broodies (removing any fake or bad eggs and, again, under the cover of darkness and not letting them see what I have) and they become great addoptive moms. What fun!

Good luck with your eggies.
dmb

 

[rancher hicks]

Well if the other eggs don't hatch I don't know what I'm going to do. Hopefully at least two will hathc and then I''ll give each of the broodies a chick. That would save me a month of no eggs. They'd get back to laying sooner.