My first Broody's eggs are hatching today! I have a question please.

[Spaeth-chicks]

My favorite girl, Lady Bird has been sitting on eggs for her first time and they have been hatching today! My question is, can I move her to a separate space that I have prepared for her? They hatched a day earlier than I expected. I wasn't quite ready to move her until this afternoon. All but one has hatched, and that one that hasn't hatched I was expecting it to be a day or possibly two behind based on when I gave it to her. Currently she's in the main coop and she hasn't gotten up to eat yet today and I'm also wondering when does she show the babies food and water? I've only hatched two times in an incubator and they typically start eating right away in the brooder. Is it ok for them to be under her all day and not have eaten any food or water yet? Will it be ok for me to move her to the new space?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Chicks have 2 days worth of nourishment in their system from the absorbed egg yolk.

Usually a hen will get up on day 2 after the first chick has hatched. Anything left unhatched is usually abandoned. She then takes the chicks to food and water.

This is why it is important not to have staggered hatches. You can confuse the hen where she wants to stay with the almost hatched eggs ignoring the needs of the 2 day old chicks.

I would put the chick that is late in the incubator and take Lady Bird and the babes to her new quarters, if this is day 2.

You can then try introducing the late chick after it has dried and fluffed. The problem with a younger chick can be that it struggles to keep up with momma and older siblings as it still needs constant napping its first 2 days. You may wish to introduce it after it is solidly running around, but not beyond day 2.

LofMc

 

[Spaeth-chicks]

Just wanted to give a quick update. When I went out during my lunch break yesterday to check on her, she immediately ran out of the coop when she heard me coming. She seemed a little panicked. So I looked in, and saw the egg that I know was trying to hatch on Wednesday afternoon, in the same place. I could see half the chick and it was moving around and basically screaming, because it was stuck in the egg. The egg was pretty dry and the baby was clearly upset and stuck. I was scared to help it, but I knew the way it was stuck in there if I left it that way it would die. So I very carefully and nervously peeled the egg shell and inner soft (and dry at this point) shell off of it. I was scared it would hurt it, but it seemed to come off ok. The chick was moving around a lot more the more I was able to get off. As soon as I got it off, I quickly put the tired baby under Lady Bird. I don't know how it is this morning yet, but when I checked last night before saying good night to them, I tried to check under her, and I saw it moving around trying to wiggle it's way into her feathers. I'm hoping that it's fluffy and happy when I go out there later on my lunch break. It was really tired, and I was thinking if we lose one of the babies it'll probably be that one, we'll see.

As far as moving her out of the nesting box, I didn't necessarily have to do it. When I went out after work, she was on the floor of the coop with the babies under her. So I just moved them to an area that I enclosed within the coop that had chick food and water. She seems grateful to be there now. She's been eating and drinking water, and showing the 5 little fluffy healthy looking babies how to eat. it's the cutest thing watching her. She chirps lightly at them, and shows them the food and how to peck at it. It's SOOOO cute! and she's really patient with them. When they try to peck her eyes or pull on her fluffy bearded face, she just turns her head away instead of getting annoyed. When they want to burrow into her she tucks them in nicely under her wings. It's adorable. She is also completely fine with me and my son holding them, and letting us pet them and be part of it. She does get upset when some of the other chickens get closer to her. I have a separate coop and run that I'm finishing up this weekend, that is attached to the main run and coop area, that I will be moving them into by the end of this weekend. I think by then the littles and Lady Bird will be excited to have more space and sunshine and room to scratch and dust bathe etc... The little low ramp should be good by then also, I'm thinking. Anyway, that's my plan. So far so good. I feel much better knowing she's in this separate space where she can eat and drink and teach the babies and they have a little more room to run around instead of behind stuck in the little nesting box.

 

[K0k0shka]

If she's a first timer, keep an eye on her and prepare to help along. Not all hens make good broodies. Some fail in some respects while being good in others... I have a first time broody right now that has no idea what she's doing. It's day 3 and she hadn't taken the chicks out of the nest yet, so they started hopping out on their own, with some left in the nest, and she kept sitting in the nest, ignoring the ones that hopped out (even though they were screaming for her, unable to figure out how to get back in). She should've come out and called the stragglers over, so she could be with all of them... I've been having to help her out a lot. By day 2-3 they start getting very mobile and curious, and shouldn't be stuck in the nest, but apparently not all hens know when to take them out... It's okay to move your broody, just keep an eye on her and if she hasn't taken the chicks out of the nest and shown them food and water by day 3, you may need to do it for her to get her going.

 

[Spaeth-chicks]

If she's a first timer, keep an eye on her and prepare to help along. Not all hens make good broodies. Some fail in some respects while being good in others... I have a first time broody right now that has no idea what she's doing. It's day 3 and she hadn't taken the chicks out of the nest yet, so they started hopping out on their own, with some left in the nest, and she kept sitting in the nest, ignoring the ones that hopped out (even though they were screaming for her, unable to figure out how to get back in). She should've come out and called the stragglers over, so she could be with all of them... I've been having to help her out a lot. By day 2-3 they start getting very mobile and curious, and shouldn't be stuck in the nest, but apparently not all hens know when to take them out... It's okay to move your broody, just keep an eye on her and if she hasn't taken the chicks out of the nest and shown them food and water by day 3, you may need to do it for her to get her going.

Thank you, I'm going to move her to the other area that I have prepped for her and the babies today. This morning my son and I went out to check on her and there was a baby out of the nest laying there like it had been out for a while. I quickly stuck it back under her. I'll check later on my lunch break and see if they're all doing ok. I can't move her until this afternoon, but I will for sure do that today.

 

[K0k0shka]

Thank you, I'm going to move her to the other area that I have prepped for her and the babies today. This morning my son and I went out to check on her and there was a baby out of the nest laying there like it had been out for a while. I quickly stuck it back under her. I'll check later on my lunch break and see if they're all doing ok. I can't move her until this afternoon, but I will for sure do that today.

Definitely keep checking on her periodically then, for babies left out from under her getting cold. The hen is supposed to tuck them under herself, the way they tuck the eggs under themselves while sitting, but it seems that not all of them know to do that. When the chicks get stronger, they'll squeeze themselves under the hen on their own, but when they're very young they may need help.

 

[Spaeth-chicks]

Ah, I see - it's that brand with the very unfortunate and confusing name. It has "scratch" in the brand name, but "scratch" is a term which means a very specific thing in the poultry world, so that can be confusing. It doesn't look like it's actual scratch, seems like it was meant as a starter. I just don't understand why the pieces are left so large. It's some kind of organic feed, and manufacturers of organic things like to beat you over the head with how special and fancy their products are, so maybe they mill their grains larger so you can see and identify the pieces - so you "know what you're getting", to avoid the "processed look" that they might ideologically be against. "All natural" grain-looking food. But ideology and marketing aside, if you look at the practical aspects of the situation, those are some large-looking chunks that I think will need grit to be digested. And I wouldn't trust the chickens getting a balanced meal that way. Chickens love corn so I can totally see them picking out the corn pieces and leaving other pieces behind. If I were in your place, I'd get them a more uniform-looking, more processed chick starter crumble, and save this one for treats. Or if you want to stick with this one, then get them some chick grit and provide it in a separate container. Hopefully their mom will teach them to eat it sparingly and not load themselves up on rocks and get impacted....... (just get some crumble)

The same brand makes a crumble starter. I can just get that. When they're bigger they'll be in the yard with the rest of the flock.

The rest of the flock spends the day foraging in my yard as well. I feed them the layer version of this brand in their feeders, but they also forage all day and get treats from me, when I'm cutting veggies or fruit etc...

 

[Spaeth-chicks]

Chicks have 2 days worth of nourishment in their system from the absorbed egg yolk.

Usually a hen will get up on day 2 after the first chick has hatched. Anything left unhatched is usually abandoned. She then takes the chicks to food and water.

This is why it is important not to have staggered hatches. You can confuse the hen where she wants to stay with the almost hatched eggs ignoring the needs of the 2 day old chicks.

I would put the chick that is late in the incubator and take Lady Bird and the babes to her new quarters, if this is day 2.

You can then try introducing the late chick after it has dried and fluffed. The problem with a younger chick can be that it struggles to keep up with momma and older siblings as it still needs constant napping its first 2 days. You may wish to introduce it after it is solidly running around, but not beyond day 2.

LofMc

That last egg, I added only about 24 hours after her other eggs, they just hatched a day earlier than I expected...I'm hoping maybe I was off with my timeline and I'm hoping it hatches today. I didn't move her last night, I prepped the space to move her and the babies and decided after reading your response about how they have 2 days worth of nourishment and let her just stay there through the night. Maybe I can move her later this afternoon after work. I hand fed her a little bit of string cheese and had her drink some water out of a little cup. She was really happy about that. I was just worried because she has been sitting in there with no break.

Ginger is in the box next to her, and I don't know if it's the hatching of Lady Bird's eggs, or what, but she also didn't get off her nest all day. Usually she takes a break, but she didn't. I'm going to try to get her to take a break today.

 

[K0k0shka]

Just wanted to give a quick update. When I went out during my lunch break yesterday to check on her, she immediately ran out of the coop when she heard me coming. She seemed a little panicked. So I looked in, and saw the egg that I know was trying to hatch on Wednesday afternoon, in the same place. I could see half the chick and it was moving around and basically screaming, because it was stuck in the egg. The egg was pretty dry and the baby was clearly upset and stuck. I was scared to help it, but I knew the way it was stuck in there if I left it that way it would die. So I very carefully and nervously peeled the egg shell and inner soft (and dry at this point) shell off of it. I was scared it would hurt it, but it seemed to come off ok. The chick was moving around a lot more the more I was able to get off. As soon as I got it off, I quickly put the tired baby under Lady Bird. I don't know how it is this morning yet, but when I checked last night before saying good night to them, I tried to check under her, and I saw it moving around trying to wiggle it's way into her feathers. I'm hoping that it's fluffy and happy when I go out there later on my lunch break. It was really tired, and I was thinking if we lose one of the babies it'll probably be that one, we'll see.

As far as moving her out of the nesting box, I didn't necessarily have to do it. When I went out after work, she was on the floor of the coop with the babies under her. So I just moved them to an area that I enclosed within the coop that had chick food and water. She seems grateful to be there now. She's been eating and drinking water, and showing the 5 little fluffy healthy looking babies how to eat. it's the cutest thing watching her. She chirps lightly at them, and shows them the food and how to peck at it. It's SOOOO cute! and she's really patient with them. When they try to peck her eyes or pull on her fluffy bearded face, she just turns her head away instead of getting annoyed. When they want to burrow into her she tucks them in nicely under her wings. It's adorable. She is also completely fine with me and my son holding them, and letting us pet them and be part of it. She does get upset when some of the other chickens get closer to her. I have a separate coop and run that I'm finishing up this weekend, that is attached to the main run and coop area, that I will be moving them into by the end of this weekend. I think by then the littles and Lady Bird will be excited to have more space and sunshine and room to scratch and dust bathe etc... The little low ramp should be good by then also, I'm thinking. Anyway, that's my plan. So far so good. I feel much better knowing she's in this separate space where she can eat and drink and teach the babies and they have a little more room to run around instead of behind stuck in the little nesting box.

Glad to hear everything is working out well! Sounds like Lady Bird is doing a great job.

One suggestion - I see you have some scratch and other stuff on that plate. Take that away. Only give them the processed crumble for now (chick starter or flock raiser). They are too little for such large pieces of corn like I see on the plate, and won't be able to digest them unless they also have grit, which I don't see, but they may be too small to swallow the grit pieces, even the chick grit. Save all that for when they're a little older and can eat larger chunks. Just crumble for now, as crumble is water soluble and doesn't need grit to be digested.

 

[Spaeth-chicks]

Glad to hear everything is working out well! Sounds like Lady Bird is doing a great job.

One suggestion - I see you have some scratch and other stuff on that plate. Take that away. Only give them the processed crumble for now (chick starter or flock raiser). They are too little for such large pieces of corn like I see on the plate, and won't be able to digest them unless they also have grit, which I don't see, but they may be too small to swallow the grit pieces, even the chick grit. Save all that for when they're a little older and can eat larger chunks. Just crumble for now, as crumble is water soluble and doesn't need grit to be digested.

ok, I'll have to get them the crumbles. The scratch is supposed to be chick starter scratch. It's basically chopped up version of the layer feed, I didn't know. According to the bag it's for chicks. I'll go to the feed store later and get them crumbles instead.