If hen abandond hatching eggs

[Aboddy2u]

Ok another question. I've raised chickens for over 20 years but never have I had such problems with a hen. Hen is killing her chicks so every hour I'm checking for newly hatched chicks. She has 4 more eggs that are clearly going to hatch sometime today. What I'm affraid of is if I bother her to a point she abandoned the eggs. Is there some way I can save them where they can finish hatching on their own? I dont have a incubator. But I heard if you put a warm wet towel around eggs that it will humitify enough for them to hatch. Is this correct? She hasn't abandoned the eggs yet. I'm just preparing if it happens. Thanks

 

[Ridgerunner]

At that stage the eggs are developing a lot of heat on their own so you don't have to be real precise on how much heat you give them. You have a decent window. To me the issues are you do not want to cook the eggs, you don't want them to cool off too much, the humidity needs to be high, and the chicks in the eggs and after they hatch need to be able to breathe fresh air so they don't suffocate.

I don't know what you have to work with and I've never done it, but a warm wet towel may be a part of it. If they are wrapped in a warm damp towel would that prevent then from hatching? I don't know. And how do you keep the towel warm?

It sounds like you have a brooder set up. My first thought is to set up a box or container of some type in a warm spot in the brooder, maybe with a towel wicking water out of a bowl so it stays damp but the bowl set up as chick can't drown in it after it hatches. Or maybe set up a box or container as a hatcher with humidity some way and warmth provided with an incandescent light bulb, being careful to not overheat them.

Good luck with it.

 

[chickens really]

What set up do you have and how much interference have you done?
I'm not being mean but trying to figure out the Hen and possibly the problem.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!
You might be able to make something like this work as a hatcher:

 

[casportpony]

@Aboddy2u and @Ridgerunner, you inspired me to try making a hatcher!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatcher-experiment.1319585/