Mama appears to be done with sitting but one chick is only started to hatch...is there something I c

[olivigus]

We got our broody hen 6 fertilized eggs--3 olive eggers and 3 copper marans. She was sitting in one of the coop nest boxes and happy so we let her brood there. This Wednesday--the 21st day--all 3 olive eggers hatched and are lively and doing really well. She kept sitting on the other eggs though, and yesterday evening one pipped. But by this afternoon she was really restless, standing up and not sitting on the remaining eggs and fussing with the hatched chicks. The one that pipped has made some progress since last night. There's about a 1-inch diameter hole and I can see its beak. It was so still I thought it was dead, but then noticed a little tiny pulse and movement.

I've been reading not to intervene too much. My question is that mama seems to be done with the unhatched eggs, so is there anything I can do to help the one still in the shell make it all the way out. I'm worried about warmth and humidity without a live hen on top of it. And I don't have an incubator. Any ideas? Or should I just let it be and wait and see. I know if it's not strong enough to make it out, it is probably better if it doesn't make it at all. But I'd hate to lose it because it got too cold or dry...

Thanks for any and all advice!

 

[sourland]

Hopefully you managed to warm the egg and the chick was able to hatch. Wish I had seen this thread earlier. Sorry for the lack of responses.

 

[olivigus]

Thanks for checking in. Friday night on a holiday weekend is probably not the best time to post...

I set up a box with a moist heating pad on low lightly covering it, but never really saw any more movement from that chick. And the other two eggs never even pipped. I think it was just too late, the eggs got cold and dry, and I really couldn't be sure when she had stopped sitting.

I was sad to not save that one, but am taking a page from Audrey, my hen, who clearly isn't spending a lick of time worrying about the eggs that didn't hatch and is happily raising her three adorable babies. Animals are great teachers in letting go and moving on and focusing on what is, versus what could have been. More life lessons from the chickens.