In over my head

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vetaflame

vetaflame

Chirping
8 Years
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Hi, all. I've had chickens on and off for the past few years. I currently have a flock of five hens, since May 2012. I've always bought my chicks as day-olds at the local feed store, and I've never had more than six at a time. 12 days ago, though, I put some Trader Joe's fertile eggs under my broody hen, hoping that hatching a chick would end the broodiness that lasted for months last year. I initially put four eggs under her, hoping to get one to hatch. After four days, I didn't see any development, so I put two more under her. Yesterday I candled. It turns out, all six of the eggs are developing! So now I have potentially six more chickens of undetermined breeds and sexes due to hatch over a four day period next week. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Well, good luck with the hatch first, you know what they say about counting your chickens! One nice thing is the TJs pullets should be good egg layers for you. Mom should pretty much take care of the chicks for a few weeks and you could post on your state thread for chicken keeping neighbors who might be interested in the chicks/ birds if you don't decide to keep them (you won't want to keep roosters?). https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread You may have some problem with the extended hatch since the hen may leave the nest before the later ones hatch, so you might want to have an incubator lined up if you can. In case she does decide to keep sitting, be sure there is food and water for the first set of chicks to hatch really close to the nest so they don't starve while mom is waiting for the later eggs to hatch.
 
I'm sure you would have no trouble rehoming them if you offer for free. Maybe your hens are slowing down in the egg department and you could use some new hens. Hope it works out for you.
 
That's what I figured. I do need to bring in a couple young hens, since my girls are two years old. No roos allowed here, so they'll all have to go.
 
Thanks for the advice! The nest box is upstairs in the coop, with a ramp to the downstairs, where the food and water is. I'm a little worried about the chicks not being able to make it down the ramp safely when Mom decides to bring them out. I will certainly put food and water next to the nest box, but do you think I need to move them downstairs when they hatch? I don't know how Mom would take that; she's pretty attached to the nest box, which isn't movable. Should I just assume Mom will take care of the issue? Alternately, I could pull the ramp up during the day so they're all trapped upstairs for the first few days. I've been taking Mom off the nest every day and locking her in with the food and water so that she will at least eat and drink once a day. She won't leave the nest by herself.
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


I wouldn't move the nest as you might cause her to get off for good. Momma knows best. She will get them out when they are ready. And they will follow her everywhere. If you think the chicks might be in danger being up so high, you might wait until they hatch and then try moving momma and her babies to a safer place and try to lock all of them in this area till all of them hatch.

Good luck with your broody and eggs and welcome to our flock!
 
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