Mama has hatched babies!!!

[Stormiek]

I heard some peeping under our silkie and alas there was a baby!!!! But upon further inspection i saw that another one had also hatched prior and looks to unfourtunatly been crushed under her in the milk crate.. ive moved mom and the other baby inside in a plastic tub, in the tub. This is my very first time hatching or rather watching chicks hatch from my own flock!! Any tips? Should i put a heat lamp on them? Should i move the baby from the mama? Id like her so be able to raise them but i also dont want to lose any more chicks!! Right now it seems like the chick is laying next to her not under her maybe too many eggs?! Also, is mama going to be okay eating the chick food for a while while raising them? Ive read that if chicks eat adult hen food it can give them kidney problems?!

 

[IvysAnimals]

You should put a heat lamp if you're moving them from mama or if mom isn't laying on all of them. It's your choice to take them from her or not, it might be better if you want all of them to have a 90% chance of living than being outside or with mom or other chickens... If your chicken is sitting on too many eggs, that won't be good for the eggs trying to develop. The mama chicken(s) should be eating a different diet from babies. The babies need more ( or less for the chickens fully grown ) calcium and nutrients that their special feed gives them. Hope that helps!

 

[Stormiek]

You should put a heat lamp if you're moving them from mama or if mom isn't laying on all of them. It's your choice to take them from her or not, it might be better if you want all of them to have a 90% chance of living than being outside or with mom or other chickens... If your chicken is sitting on too many eggs, that won't be good for the eggs trying to develop. The mama chicken(s) should be eating a different diet from babies. The babies need more ( or less for the chickens fully grown ) calcium and nutrients that their special feed gives them. Hope that helps!

It does thank you so much!!!!! So right now shes sitting on the chick again i think it was just her readjusting everything from me moving them!!! but i will make a note of the too many eggs!!!! I may have gone a little crazy //: she is a tiny chicken!!! Should i remove some eggs? Ive been looking up how to at-home candle them to maybe take some away if there is no chicks in them!! I have more of these plastic storage tubs do you think it would be beneficial to add a second next to hers? That way she can still be close to them but i can control the heat and food for the chicks or?! Please dont mind the less than beautiful tub this is our spare bathroom where we raise our babies

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This is my very first time hatching or rather watching chicks hatch from my own flock!! Any tips? Should i put a heat lamp on them? Should i move the baby from the mama? Id like her so be able to raise them but i also dont want to lose any more chicks!! Right now it seems like the chick is laying next to her not under her maybe too many eggs?! Also, is mama going to be okay eating the chick food for a while while raising them? Ive read that if chicks eat adult hen food it can give them kidney problems?!

She has way too many eggs, imho. Can you candle them and see which ones are viable?
Do you have an incubator?

Let her finish hatching the ones that are viable (getting ready to hatch in the next day or so) but later ones in an incubator. She's not going to just continue to sit and sit if she's got a chick, she may sit for another day or two, but then will be off the nest showing the chick food/water.

Where was she outside? Was it not a secure space for her to raise chicks near the flock but protected from the other adults? I'm not sure I would have moved her, but she's moved now. She does not need heat at all.
Chicks under her do not need heat at all.
Mama Hen provides a warm spot that chicks need. Chicks do not spend all their time under Mama. They explore, they eat/drink/poop, they decide they need a nap or warm up...under Mama they go.

Mama Hen can absolutely positively eat chick starter!!! Put some chick starter down now for the chick and Mama, let her eat and let her show the chick how to eat. She may decide it times to leave the nest as well.

(Chicks do not need more Calcium than adults, they need Less! much Less!)

The mama chicken(s) should be eating a different diet from babies. The babies need more ( or less for the chickens fully grown ) calcium and nutrients that their special feed gives them.

 

[Stormiek]

She has way too many eggs, imho. Can you candle them and see which ones are viable?
Do you have an incubator?

Let her finish hatching the ones that are viable (getting ready to hatch in the next day or so) but later ones in an incubator. She's not going to just continue to sit and sit if she's got a chick, she may sit for another day or two, but then will be off the nest showing the chick food/water.

Where was she outside? Was it not a secure space for her to raise chicks near the flock but protected from the other adults? I'm not sure I would have moved her, but she's moved now. She does not need heat at all.
Chicks under her do not need heat at all.
Mama Hen provides a warm spot that chicks need. Chicks do not spend all their time under Mama. They explore, they eat/drink/poop, they decide they need a nap or warm up...under Mama they go.

Mama Hen can absolutely positively eat chick starter!!! Put some chick starter down now for the chick and Mama, let her eat and let her show the chick how to eat. She may decide it times to leave the nest as well.

(Chicks do not need more Calcium than adults, they need Less! much Less!)

Thank you so much! And i candled them and i think that they are all viable we dont have a incubator yet but ive been thinking of trying a diy one with a Styrofoam cooler... your thoughts on that?! I would like to wait and try it with fresh eggs instead of ones that are about ready to hatch but if you think its best ill go ahead and try the at home incubator... and she was in a milk crate on the floor of the coop (she dosent fly very well and cant get to their box so i leave the milk crate there for her to use) the other hens weren't messing with her but i read that they will probably mess with the chicks plus the first chick that hatched had been smushed i thought maybe because of the grates on the milk crate? Thoes are the reason for moving her. I will make sure that the next hen that gets broody has their own space in their coop where the other ladies cant get to them!!!! She seems to be doing well now and is able to sit on all the eggs and chickies (its so cute watching them pop their little heads up from under her wings!!!!)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much! And i candled them and i think that they are all viable we dont have a incubator yet but ive been thinking of trying a diy one with a Styrofoam cooler... your thoughts on that?! I would like to wait and try it with fresh eggs instead of ones that are about ready to hatch but if you think its best ill go ahead and try the at home incubator... and she was in a milk crate on the floor of the coop (she dosent fly very well and cant get to their box so i leave the milk crate there for her to use) the other hens weren't messing with her but i read that they will probably mess with the chicks plus the first chick that hatched had been smushed i thought maybe because of the grates on the milk crate? Thoes are the reason for moving her. I will make sure that the next hen that gets broody has their own space in their coop where the other ladies cant get to them!!!! She seems to be doing well now and is able to sit on all the eggs and chickies (its so cute watching them pop their little heads up from under her wings!!!!)

I would give her more room than the small tote she is in.
Once she comes off the nest, there's not room for her or the chicks to safely move about.

I don't have any experience with homemade incubators so you would have to do some research on those.
Do the eggs look like they will hatch within the next day or so?

She will want to get the chicks eating very soon unless the chicks are already eating by themselves now, sometimes they will.

You are right, other hens may mess with the chicks so having a place for her to go once she's done hatching is a very good idea. If you have room in your coop, block off an area inside your coop with wire so the others can't reach her or the chicks.

Chicks with a Mama hen is one of the most beautiful things in the world! I'm glad you are getting to see this. Well worth it.

 

[Stormiek]

She has way too many eggs, imho. Can you candle them and see which ones are viable?
Do you have an incubator?

Let her finish hatching the ones that are viable (getting ready to hatch in the next day or so) but later ones in an incubator. She's not going to just continue to sit and sit if she's got a chick, she may sit for another day or two, but then will be off the nest showing the chick food/water.

Where was she outside? Was it not a secure space for her to raise chicks near the flock but protected from the other adults? I'm not sure I would have moved her, but she's moved now. She does not need heat at all.
Chicks under her do not need heat at all.
Mama Hen provides a warm spot that chicks need. Chicks do not spend all their time under Mama. They explore, they eat/drink/poop, they decide they need a nap or warm up...under Mama they go.

Mama Hen can absolutely positively eat chick starter!!! Put some chick starter down now for the chick and Mama, let her eat and let her show the chick how to eat. She may decide it times to leave the nest as well.

(Chicks do not need more Calcium than adults, they need Less! much Less!)

I would give her more room than the small tote she is in.
Once she comes off the nest, there's not room for her or the chicks to safely move about.

I don't have any experience with homemade incubators so you would have to do some research on those.
Do the eggs look like they will hatch within the next day or so?

She will want to get the chicks eating very soon unless the chicks are already eating by themselves now, sometimes they will.

You are right, other hens may mess with the chicks so having a place for her to go once she's done hatching is a very good idea. If you have room in your coop, block off an area inside your coop with wire so the others can't reach her or the chicks.

Chicks with a Mama hen is one of the most beautiful things in the world! I'm glad you are getting to see this. Well worth it.

Okay i have one about as big as the tub that i used for raising our store bought chicks ill get her into that one!! And okay ill make sure that gets done before they go back in!! Should i move them immidiatly after she decides shes done sitting or should i wait a few days after everybody is hatched? And im not quite sure on the candling this is my very first time doing it it was awesome!!!! i will send pictures and maybe you will be able to decipher? And youre not kidding there this is literally amazing i am SO IN LOVE. i just wish i have been more responsible and done a bit more research and maybe the other one would have made it!

 

[Stormiek]

Egg no.1

Okay i have one about as big as the tub that i used for raising our store bought chicks ill get her into that one!! And okay ill make sure that gets done before they go back in!! Should i move them immidiatly after she decides shes done sitting or should i wait a few days after everybody is hatched? And im not quite sure on the candling this is my very first time doing it it was awesome!!!! i will send pictures and maybe you will be able to decipher? And youre not kidding there this is literally amazing i am SO IN LOVE. i just wish i have been more responsible and done a bit more research and maybe the other one would have made it!

 

[Stormiek]

Egg no.1

Egg no.2 is VERY STINKY. It smells like a dead animal but i wasnt sure if that was because of the first baby who didnt make it... i didnt want to wash it in case that would mess up the incubation process but i dont see any light spot inside of it either?

 

[Stormiek]

Egg no.2 is VERY STINKY. It smells like a dead animal but i wasnt sure if that was because of the first baby who didnt make it... i didnt want to wash it in case that would mess up the incubation process but i dont see any light spot inside of it either?

Egg. No 3