Mama hen pecking egg? Update and HELP!

[UnlabeledMama]

I have a half hatched egg! Mama hen was pecking at it a little. Is she helping or hurting? Baby is breathing still - I just tucked it back under her?

 

[UnlabeledMama]

We have a bad mommy!!!

I went out to check on two chicks were pecked and kicked out of the nest. Two looked ok under mama, but another that had just hatched was beginning to be pecked. I took all of them out and I put then under a heat lamp. What about the 3 eggs that haven't hatched yet? And the two that are pecked? One is in really bad shape. It almost looks scalped and one eye may be blind. The other has a wound to the neck and it's bottom is a little bloody. Any advice?????

 

[bobbi-j]

Well, you either have a bad mama, or weak chicks that are not up to par, so she was getting rid of them. Animals seem to sense the weak or sick babies and kill them. I'm not sure what to say about the other 3 eggs... You could let her hatch them and be prepared to take them away from her immediately after hatching if you have that much time to sit and watch. Or, if you have an incubator you could try putting them in there. I'm guessing, though, that by the time you'd get it warmed up and stabilized, they'll already be hatched out under the hen.

 

[UnlabeledMama]

No incubator. I haven't candled these 3, they may be non-viable. Is 5 of 8 a decent hatch rate when they are just barnyard mix eggs?

The scalped baby is trying to stand up. Tough little guy! If he/sh makes it she may be named Lucky!

 

[This_chicks_place]

Sorry for your chaos! We just had this happen last week. Mama killed the first three to hatch and is taking good care of the five to survive. I chalked it up to mother nature knowing best. Good luck with the others!

 

[bobbi-j]

I think 5/8 is decent, whether they're a barnyard mix, or high-priced exotics. I just had a 4/13 hatch a week ago. The 4 that hatched were the only viable eggs. Yes, I did crack the rest open. No development in them. Give it a day or so, they may be late hatchers.

 

[UnlabeledMama]

I cracked open the eggs since there was no response when I tapped them and I have no incubator. One was soup and the other two were mostly developed, but dead chicks. Really good fertility rate! All 5 chicks are still alive. They are all under a heat lamp in my living room. Praying they are all alive in the morning!

 

[UnlabeledMama]

The 2 injured chicks didn't make it.

They were alive when we got up this morning, but when we checked again about an hour later they both were dead. It's so sad! Two chicks look good, one is still a little sluggish, but that was the last one to hatch. Hoping it will be okay.

 

[Jenslp]

I just had the same thing happen so I won't let her set a clutch again. I was able to save 4 of chickens but wasn't quick enough to save the other 3. It appears she is just a bad mother because the chicks in the brooder are doing great.