Mom abandoned eggs, 3 out of 9 hatched.

[browntownfarm]

This morning i was happy to wake up to find two healthy chicks poking out under my brooday hen. She had a total of 9 under her. One more hatched but didnt make it but now she has left the nest and 6 are still in the box. Is there anything i can do with the other 6?

 

[nchls school]

This morning i was happy to wake up to find two healthy chicks poking out under my brooday hen. She had a total of 9 under her. One more hatched but didnt make it but now she has left the nest and 6 are still in the box. Is there anything i can do with the other 6?

Too late now. In the future, if you remove the chicks to a heat lamp the hen will continue to brood. When you are sure all viable eggs have hatched the earlier chicks can be reunited with their mother.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are those 6 eggs viable? Do they have living chicks in them? I don’t know the history of this incubation so I can only guess what might have happened. The vast majority of broody hens get it right but occasionally you just get one that messes up. A broody hen does everything by instinct and occasionally those instincts get messed up.

Normally a broody hen and her chicks start talking to each other right after the chick internal pips. That way the hen can tell when the hatch is over, there are no unhatched chicks talking to her. So she takes the chicks that have already hatched off the nest to get food and water. I’ve had hens take the chicks off the nest within 24 hours of the first one hatching. I’ve had hens take more than 3 full days to take her chicks off the nest. I always check the remaining unhatched eggs. I’ve never found a living chick left behind.

It’s possible you did not start all the eggs at the same time so some hatched before the others got to internal pip. That’s one of the reasons for stating all the eggs at the same time.

It’s possible the hen messed up.

It’s possible there are no live chicks in those eggs.

If you have an incubator or can rig up a warm place to keep the extra eggs you can try to hatch them. You don’t want it hot enough to cook them, anywhere from 90 to 100 degrees will give them a chance. It helps if it is pretty humid also. Don’t worry if they have cooled off some. At that stage of development the chicks are generating quite a bit if heat themselves. They can be pretty tough even if the eggs feel cold. It’s not good but they might have a chance.

Good luck!

Sorry, just saw the time of your post.

 

[weezyfno]

Mine hatched 9 out her 18 eggs yesterday. So should I remove the chicks to a brooder and let her hatch the rest? If I do that, will she accept the chicks if they're out of her sight for a week or so? I don't want her to peck them when returned after the remaining eggs are hatched.

 

[tiffmw10]

I'm following because I'm having the same issue. Chick hatched today and two eggs are still under her. Both have chicks in them, but both at different stages. One of my other ladies laid an egg in her box and I didn't know it, until day 10.

 

[song of joy]

Mine hatched 9 out her 18 eggs yesterday. So should I remove the chicks to a brooder and let her hatch the rest? If I do that, will she accept the chicks if they're out of her sight for a week or so? I don't want her to peck them when returned after the remaining eggs are hatched.

If she's still on the nest, give her time to hatch them out while she's brooding the chicks that have already hatched. A hatch can take 24-48 hours.

 

[song of joy]

I'm following because I'm having the same issue. Chick hatched today and two eggs are still under her. Both have chicks in them, but both at different stages. One of my other ladies laid an egg in her box and I didn't know it, until day 10.

An egg that's lagging 10 days behind will not make it, as the hen will leave the nest with the chicks that have already hatched, letting the remaining egg cool and die. I wouldn't pull the hatched chicks from her to encourage her to keep setting on the lagging eggs, as you'd be faced with reintroducing older chicks (10 to 12 days old) to a hen with a newly hatched chick, assuming it hatches. She may reject the older chicks at that point.

I'd be inclined to let nature take its course. Or, if you have an incubator, hatch out the lagging eggs and try to introduce those chicks to the hen at night, letting her keep any chicks she hatches in the meantime.

 

[tiffmw10]

That's what I was thinking. I just have to get that egg from her.

 

[nchls school]

Mine hatched 9 out her 18 eggs yesterday. So should I remove the chicks to a brooder and let her hatch the rest? If I do that, will she accept the chicks if they're out of her sight for a week or so? I don't want her to peck them when returned after the remaining eggs are hatched.

If all the eggs started incubation at the same time they should all hatch about the same time. 18 eggs is a lot for one hen to brood. Examine the eggs for pip marks. You can even hold the eggs to your ear and if they are hatching you will hear a thump-thump sound as the chick tries to break the shell; you may even be able to feel it. If there are more eggs hatching I'd put the chicks that are dry and moving around under a heat lamp until the hatch is complete (with the chicks removed the hen will continue to brood). The hatch should not take a week unless eggs were added to the nest after brooding had started. The broody hen will accept the chicks back if they have not been away from her for long. For the best luck, put the chicks back with their mother at night. Good luck.

 

[nchls school]

An egg that's lagging 10 days behind will not make it, as the hen will leave the nest with the chicks that have already hatched, letting the remaining egg cool and die.  I wouldn't pull the hatched chicks from her to encourage her to keep setting on the lagging eggs, as you'd be faced with reintroducing older chicks (10 to 12 days old) to a hen with a newly hatched chick, assuming it hatches.  She may reject the older chicks at that point.  

I'd be inclined to let nature take its course.  Or, if you have an incubator, hatch out the lagging eggs and try to introduce those chicks to the hen at night, letting her keep any chicks she hatches in the meantime.  

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