- Thread starter
- #11
Bumping this up for more advice.
Chicks are hatching!
I had no idea because this is only day 20 and is totally unexpected (for this new chicken mama anyways). There were 12 eggs total and I've counted 7 little heads peeking out at once. I tried to move her slightly to see if there are more eggs to hatch but it's a hodge podge of chicks and broken eggs. I did see 1 egg that had only a hole started. I did not want to upset her too much or hurt a chick or unhatched egg so left it at that and ran here for advice.
My question is when do I attempt to move them to their new private and more chick friendly coop? The nest box they are currently in is not a good location for a hen and chicks. It's only 12"X12" and has a 12" drop down to the coop floor.
As of now I will be gone tomorrow morning and they will be stuck in that small nesting box until 1 pm. If I leave them they will have to deal with the other hens going in and out though it didn't seem much of an issue. Might be a different story when they are locked in the run and not free ranging though. I can't lock up the coop because the others need the boxes to lay.
OMG!! What do I do?? I swear this is more nerve wracking than having my own babies!!
Chicks are hatching!
I had no idea because this is only day 20 and is totally unexpected (for this new chicken mama anyways). There were 12 eggs total and I've counted 7 little heads peeking out at once. I tried to move her slightly to see if there are more eggs to hatch but it's a hodge podge of chicks and broken eggs. I did see 1 egg that had only a hole started. I did not want to upset her too much or hurt a chick or unhatched egg so left it at that and ran here for advice.
My question is when do I attempt to move them to their new private and more chick friendly coop? The nest box they are currently in is not a good location for a hen and chicks. It's only 12"X12" and has a 12" drop down to the coop floor.
As of now I will be gone tomorrow morning and they will be stuck in that small nesting box until 1 pm. If I leave them they will have to deal with the other hens going in and out though it didn't seem much of an issue. Might be a different story when they are locked in the run and not free ranging though. I can't lock up the coop because the others need the boxes to lay.
OMG!! What do I do?? I swear this is more nerve wracking than having my own babies!!
