Moving Hen and Chicks?

[fullyfleeced]

The reason I was concerned that the chick was stuck was it seemed that the shell membrane was starting to dry out and harden. I used a fine mist of water to make it pliable and gently helped the chick get free. I know that interfering is a dicey proposition, but it appears that it worked out alright this time.

 

[aart]

Usually best to let mama do the work, lifting bird to peek and removing egg only adds to humidification(shrink wrapping) issues.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... I have a speckled sussex... [is] sitting on eggs... I've been checking on her... to see if anyone has hatched... tonight I saw the first of her brood... there are more eggs under her... I'm interested in moving them all to a safe location, but don't want to disrupt the hatching...

It is surely to late to move her now. To do so will likely mean that your setting hen will bond with her first chick and then abandon the nest in order to squire her live chick around. Not only is a hens' desire to sit or incubate controlled by her hormones but so is every part of a hens' reproductive life controlled by either hormones or instinct. Your speckled sussex is incapable of making a rational (as we humans think of rational) decision about the chicks or pipping eggs that are under her. But remember, the hen and her chicks and eggs are your property and you should do with them as you personally see fit. I am only pointing out the possible pitfalls.

 

[fullyfleeced]

@aart I haven't lifted up mama other than to move her and the brood to the nursery on Sunday. I only noticed the issue because the egg was out from underneath her. Agree that lifting a hen to check is not a good idea.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... She's still got maybe 9 or 10 eggs underneath her. Haven't seen any other activity yet... perhaps this is a staggered hatch...

Staggered hatches are the pits.

 

[fullyfleeced]

ok, so a week after the two chicks hatched out mama gave up sitting and started pecking the remaining eggs (caught her pecking open one and offering the yolk to the two chicks.
So I took the remaining eggs and put them under another girl who was sitting in a different location.
At the time, I noticed that one egg was starting to hatch. Checked back later that day and found that the chick didn't make it. I think that another hen might be to blame, as I had not yet closed off access to the other chickens. The chick appeared to have been removed from the nest before she was fluffed out. After that, I had one more chick that didn't quite make it out of the egg.
But yesterday evening (almost another week later) I spied a chick peeking out from underneath her. So the staggered hatching continues. I've only seen the one chick so far, but I am keeping my distance and letting mama#2 do her thing. (this girl hatched and raised 12 chicks last spring, so she's got a bit of experience!)