I'm gonna be a nervous wreck....**Update**baby chick died!

[TerrasCritters]

Hey if she was a good incubator and wants to go broody again, and you dont mind her incubating eggs for her, do that, just take the babies as soon as they hatch, or try to wait until they fluff then take them, but ifyou have a brooder ready and warm, you can take them anytime.

Sorry dont mean to burst everyones bubble but even when they dont mean much to me, id rather save them.

I have not lost one yet that I have saved from near death, they all grow/grew up to be very beautiful sucessful birds

Best of luck to you!

 

[nccatnip]

Any updates?

 

[jenichick]

The one that died did a a tiny little bubble on it's belly but perfect otherwise. I think it smothered. I think that little bubble would've absorbed within and hour or so. We've been watchin her carefully and she hatched out two more (one is definitely Buttercups offspring). When they first hatch they lay underneath her and seem to get cought up int he other eggs and can't move. I waited until they were out of their shell, and heard them peeping under her, then I moved them into the brooder with the others.

She's hatch 4, 1 died, 3 are perfect, and others are trying to pip.

 

[TerrasCritters]

Congrats!
You are very right about that little buldge at the umbilical area. It would of disappeared probably with in 30 min's.
I think you may have done the right move by taking them, she seems to be sitting to tight, some hens do sit to tight and the eggs don't hatch because they keep them to warm. And chicks die from being smothered and squished.
Thanks for the update! So glad the 3 are doing well.
She may do better with her second clutch, I bet she's not happy you taking her babies but its for the best of there lives.

 

[silkiechicken]

Especially if this is her first time she might not know what she is doing. I have a broody sexlink who could not keep an egg under her the first time she tried... and she tried for about 5 weeks before i bought a chick for her. Was a great mom. This year she lost her egg one week before due! But she stole more eggs and hatched out a chick and is now raising it. Next year I bet she'll do better, not lose eggs, and hatch chicks!

 

[jenichick]

She is such a good hen. She doesn't peck, or growl, let's me pick her up and check her eggs, etc. I think that she's young and is just so tight on them that they don't get a chance to get under her wing etc. Now, she still has 9 eggs under her, is this normal to take several days to hatch? She's hatched 4 out of 13, 1 died three are fine, and none had pipped by this afternoon..... I'm just wondering if its normal take this long? Hmmm?

 

[TerrasCritters]

Hmmm usually hens will lay lay lay until they have a full clutch of eggs then begin to incubate so they all hatch at the same time.
They do this so that when it comes time to leave the nest with the chicks, they dont leave eggs behind to die. Its dark now, go out there and candle those eggs, if they are clear take them out.
Is it possable she was sharing a nest with another hen?
My duck sat on like 14 eggs, i finnaly found her on them and went out there at night to candle, they were ALL chicken eggs! I took the youngest eggs away, with there being so many there was no way she could keep them all warm. shes little and they was buldging out from under her. I left her with 9 chicken eggs and added 1 duck egg, she sat on them comfortably. But every other day I had to go candle the eggs because the darn chicken would go and have her get off the nest, sit down on the eggs and lay another, the whole time while the duck hen was sitting in front of her just looking at her like, those are MY eggs!
The chicken would get up and leave and the duck would go sit on the eggs again. Lol
So maybe its possable another hen was laying eggs for her to incubate?
Candle them see if they are alive, they may be a bit behinde or may be dead, but I think it may be a little early to tell (with out candling) if they are done or not, you can put them to your ear and listen for tapping or peeping.
Candle with a bright flashlight.
Will be looking for updates!