Mama abandoned nest, one is chirping

[aliciaFarmer]

I had a super broody 5 month old buff orpington that I ended up buying a few hatching eggs for. She has sat like a champ up until today. She got up a few hours ago and won't sit on the eggs anymore which were due to hatch tomorrow but one is cracked and chrping. I'm not sure what to do because mama is totally disinterested in returning. Obviously this is my first hatching experience.

Note too that the eggs are outside in the chicken house and it's cold. Maybe 55°.

 

[Shadowfire]

Quickly bring in the nest box (if you can), and if not, gently as possible pick up the eggs and put them into a cardboard box packed with straw so they are warmish and don't jostle around. Then take them inside, put them in a warm place, and rig up a heat lamp if you can. Wrap up the box in a very large, thick towel and leave the top open. Then put another towel on your dryer (if it's going) and tuck it around the eggs inside the box once it gets quite warm. I hope they make it okay! Don't put in food or water yet. They can drown in even a very shallow water dish or waterer, and the yolk sucked up into their abdomens will feed them for up to three days. Good luck.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

Quickly bring in the nest box (if you can), and if not, gently as possible pick up the eggs and put them into a cardboard box packed with straw so they are warmish and don't jostle around. Then take them inside, put them in a warm place, and rig up a heat lamp if you can. Wrap up the box in a very large, thick towel and leave the top open. Then put another towel on your dryer (if it's going) and tuck it around the eggs inside the box once it gets quite warm. I hope they make it okay! Don't put in food or water yet. They can drown in even a very shallow water dish or waterer, and the yolk sucked up into their abdomens will feed them for up to three days. Good luck.

Thank you so much!! I'm on it right now. ♡ Thank you, thank you!!

 

[aliciaFarmer]

As soon as I started to move them, mama returned. Phew! She was off the nest for a couple of hours so I was nervous, especially because she's literally only been getting up only once every five to seven days before now. I think all is well but I'll be keeping an extremely close eye on things just in case.

 

[aart]

@aliciaFarmer did she finish the job?

 

[aliciaFarmer]

@aliciaFarmer did she finish the job?

She did! I was pretty sure only two of the four were viable and I was right. She hatched a little Swedish Flower Hen and a Lavender Ameraucana.



Thanks so much for asking. ♡

She's still acting totally crazy but she's being a good Mama so that's all that really counts I guess.