I'm a chicken Granny!!

[DragonBearMomma]

My Welsummer has brooded 2 Delaware & 2 Amberlink eggs, all x White Crested Polish. Set days 5/7 & 5/8. Unfortunately, my penciled dates have been rubbed off (again), so it either Day 18 or Day 19. This Delaware egg is the only one pipping as of right now.

So, what happens next? This is my first time. How long will it take for the little one(s) to break free? Will she stay on the nest until she knows for sure who's hatching and who's not? Will she help them if they are struggling to get out? We've been as non-invasive with her as possible, as she wasn't very affectionate to begin with, even being handled daily as a chick. I only disturbed her on the nest to remove any eggs she'd pilfered from the nest box next to her (it's only a half wall between them).

The nesting area is roughly 2 1/2 ft. from the ground, and I've done my best to redo the ramp's slope to something more gentle and doable for any littles that do hatch. Should I put a taller partition between the nest and the edge where the ramp starts? It's 18-ish inches away, and the board I use to separate the roosting area from the nesting area is only about 3 inches high, mainly to keep the nesting material in.

I'm sure I have a ton more questions, but these are the ones fighting to be resolved at the moment.

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

Is she seperated from the flock? If not the other flock members could kill any chicks that hatch.

 

[Battlepants]

I would suggest just leaving her alone for a few days. From pip to full hatch can take well over a day in some cases. She will continue to sit in that area for a few more days giving the other eggs a chance to hatch. At the same time, the fresh chicks will just stay around her for warmth (they don't need food and water at this time). After a few days, she will give up on any more hatching and will leave the nest box with her chicks to teach them how to eat and drink.

Another consideration is entrance to the broodybox and the entrance to the coop. These chicks will have a very limited ability to jump, fly or even go up a ramp, so it would be a good idea to prevent them from ending up in a situation where they can't get back to the broodybox. For me, this was to take a thin board that is about 4 inches wide and put this against the coop door. The other girls inside the coop can easily jump over this to get in and out, but the new littles cannot get high enough to escape the coop just yet.

 

[DragonBearMomma]

I would suggest just leaving her alone for a few days. From pip to full hatch can take well over a day in some cases. She will continue to sit in that area for a few more days giving the other eggs a chance to hatch. At the same time, the fresh chicks will just stay around her for warmth (they don't need food and water at this time). After a few days, she will give up on any more hatching and will leave the nest box with her chicks to teach them how to eat and drink.

Another consideration is entrance to the broodybox and the entrance to the coop. These chicks will have a very limited ability to jump, fly or even go up a ramp, so it would be a good idea to prevent them from ending up in a situation where they can't get back to the broodybox. For me, this was to take a thin board that is about 4 inches wide and put this against the coop door. The other girls inside the coop can easily jump over this to get in and out, but the new littles cannot get high enough to escape the coop just yet.

It's a prefab converted to an open-air coop, so I'd have to put the board at the actual nest box.

Is she seperated from the flock? If not the other flock members could kill any chicks that hatch.

We tried to move her once already, the first time she went broody, and she abandoned that clutch to go back to where she started, so that's not an option at this point. I'm just hoping for the best.

 

[DragonBearMomma]

Well, that went quickly. We have a hatchling!

 

[DragonBearMomma]

This is my setup, for better reference...

The bottom part of the ramp still needs securing, and the little landing needs to be raised a bit, obviously, but, for now, I've added 2x4's for an added 'corral' around her box.

 

[DragonBearMomma]

I'm back again with a new development.....

I went to check on Emma & the chick, and I caught my Delaware REMOVING 2 of the 3 unhatched eggs from under her, which are just starting to pip!

I quickly had my son throw a thick layer of shavings and straw into an old mail tote I was using for cleaning rags, and we got the eggs, baby & Emma out of the coop. They're now inside my house until I can get a solid-sided dog carrier to put back into the coop, but on the ground level, so there HOPEFULLY won't be any more issues I don't know what else to do.

 

[DragonBearMomma]

Chick #2: Amberlink x WCP

There's another for-sure-pipped Delaware egg under her, but she's got it smack dab in the middle of her underbelly, so I don't want to jostle her too much. She's actually a lot more relaxed than I've ever seen her, but I don't want to risk her stepping on anyone and causing injury.

 

[EdgeofAsheville]

I would suggest just leaving her alone for a few days. From pip to full hatch can take well over a day in some cases. She will continue to sit in that area for a few more days giving the other eggs a chance to hatch. At the same time, the fresh chicks will just stay around her for warmth (they don't need food and water at this time). After a few days, she will give up on any more hatching and will leave the nest box with her chicks to teach them how to eat and drink.

Another consideration is entrance to the broodybox and the entrance to the coop. These chicks will have a very limited ability to jump, fly or even go up a ramp, so it would be a good idea to prevent them from ending up in a situation where they can't get back to the broodybox. For me, this was to take a thin board that is about 4 inches wide and put this against the coop door. The other girls inside the coop can easily jump over this to get in and out, but the new littles cannot get high enough to escape the coop just yet.

Super helpful suggestion! I was trying to figure out how to keep my broody hen and her day old chicks from going down a steep ramp or getting outside. Brilliant! I want the other hens to have access to the nesting boxes and not trap the Mama hen either.