June 2022 Hatch-a-long

[MROO]

Today at 3 is day 20 for my one egg under my broody, but it has an external pip

A 100% hatch rate! That's awesome! (insert giggles here)

 

[junior67]

A 100% hatch rate! That's awesome! (insert giggles here)

LOL well 100% hatch rate from what developed. or went into "lockdown". hahaa. (Sad that 20 eggs were st and I got 1 baby).

Really hoping my next batch of shipped eggs (well 2 coming the same time) do MUCH better and actually develop!. WOULD LOVE to have even a 35-40% hatch rate of what is SET/shipped!

 

[MROO]

Sorry for the long post, but this is certainly not how I wanted my first hatch to go. this morning I woke up to a little wet yellow chick One more to go. This is my broody’s first hatch, and mine, so I observed for about 30 minutes and decided broody and chick looked to be getting along just fine. Nothing else in the coop or surrounding environment seemed out of place. Broody and chick were in the nesting box where my broody had her clutch and refused to move from, and she has been vehemently defending her spot from the other hens. No one has been laying in her box since she went broody.

I came back to the coop about 2 hours later and found broody and chick on the floor of the coop huddled in a corner. Another non-broody hen, who has a history of being aggressive to other hens in the past, was in their nesting box pecking around eating eggshell/remnants from the hatch. It appears this hen attacked the broody and her chick and the two ended up on the floor. My heart sank, but I could still hear the chick peeping. I immediately began beating myself up, and still am, for only watching how broody and chick got along and not paying better attention to how the other chickens would react. Lesson learned the hard way.

Edited to include: I moved broody and chick in my house, as it is roughly 500 degrees in southeast Texas right now. So now they are getting some AC, and chickie is getting its beak dipped in water + save-a-chick powder which it is drinking down.

~10 hours later, chick is moving around more but cannot stand on its own or walk properly. It is wiggling around using its good leg and its right wing as a sort of crutch. The chick is opening its right eye which it looks like it still works, and has minimal injury! Chickie is also very vocal and lively. Small victories.

It will take a long, long time for me to forgive myself for leaving broody and chick vulnerable to attack - so please limit criticism here. I thought through my setup for them for weeks and believed it would be safe but apparently it was not. This is my first hatch and I knew any errors I made could mean life and death and that may well be the case here. But now that I have the two safely tucked away for some R&R in the AC, does anyone have any additional suggestions to assist in helping my chick work out that injured leg?

It should be noted that I did NOT see the chick walking or moving when I first observed it after hatching this morning. This makes it difficult to tell if its walking difficulties are from hatching fatigue/deformity/vitamin deficiency, or from the attack by the other hen. I don’t think it’s splayed leg since the other leg seems to be alright and the legs aren’t bowing out, but I am open to all suggestions of course.

I would also like to publicly applaud my broody for being an absolute hero. This is her first hatch and she has been nothing but exemplary, and she quite literally put her life on the line to save her chick during the attack from the other hen. My hat off to you, Cleopatra View attachment 3152828
Note: chickie’s funky right foot. The leg was pecked visibly just above the ankle joint. The toes do flex out when I assist the chick in putting pressure on it.

ps, Cleo is still sitting on her other egg. I am unfortunately having a staggered hatch (out of my control, long story, but another lesson learned and I will never stagger hatch again) so I felt comfortable moving this egg since it’s not quite as close to hatching. If Cleo decides she doesn’t want to wait for that egg, I have another broody who will finish the hatch. *exhales deeply, sips wine*

What a sweet picture! Be kind to yourself. Animals are unpredictable, so you can't anticipate every possibility. We all have war stories about lessons learned the hard way. Your issue - and your pain - resonates with me, as I had a similar experience when I started out. Now I separate my broody hens when they're setting. It's inconvenient, and it make reintegration touchy, but my chicks have a much better survival rate, now.
Good luck with your little one!

 

[MandaRae]

Finally some progress!

Sadly I think this one pipped the yolk or a blood vessel and passed. I really wanted this egg to hatch I never knew who was laying it.

I still have 2 others pipped but slow progress.

 

[junior67]

Finally some progress!
View attachment 3155554


Sadly I think this one pipped the yolk or a blood vessel and passed. I really wanted this egg to hatch I never knew who was laying it.
View attachment 3155555


I still have 2 others pipped but slow progress.

Woohoo on the progress.

So sad on the one that passed away though.

 

[MandaRae]

Baby #2 hatched! Still waiting on the last 2

 

[Bird fanatic]

Ok went to check my hen this morning and we have one baby!!! Hatched last night pictures coming soon, she's adorable

 

[Bird fanatic]

My times must not be that messed up I estimated I put them in the 1st and today would be hatch day lol! Guess I was right!!!

 

[MandaRae]

Well final count I got 3 babies!!

 

[junior67]

Well final count I got 3 babies!!

So cute!!!