My wyandotte is a lazy egg thief

[Pent]

So my Maran has been incubating eggs perfectly, watching them, defending them, just doing a stellar job for 20 days now. Just yesterday, however, I'm guessing the eggs started signaling they were nearly ready. Queen Wyandotte decides she'd kinda like some chicks, so she turns broody, shoulders in, and plunks down on top of the eggs. The two of them are crammed in there, but the Wyandotte has all the eggs. Its like she just didn't have the patience to wait out the full time.

 

[sourland]

If it were me, I would lock the Wyandotte away from the nest. The hens may inadvertently crush and kill the chicks if they start quarreling over the eggs.

 

[Pent]

Good thought, not sure where I could put her safely... We've had predator issues.

 

[gander007]

Do you have a dog box or could you make a little wood frame with wire cage for her for a couple of days to stay in ...



My geese do this every year and I have to remove the goslings for a week and then give them back this way they are big enough to walk and run otherwise they get crushed just like sourlad, described and yes this is common nothing out of the ordinary ......

 

[Pent]

It was late last night so I didn't, should have. One confirmed casualty, a little brown silkie chick that never even got to dry off, and one that I doubt will make it, as the egg was quite damaged and there was a little blood when I tried to help it. The other I helped (as it looked like the two eggs had been smashed together) looked ok when I put it back under momma. I did see one new little fuzzy black chick, likely an NN, along with the two older ones I added last night. One egg still unhatched, so five accounted for. Not sure where number six is, but not a ton of hope for it.

 

[gander007]

It was late last night so I didn't, should have. One confirmed casualty, a little brown silkie chick that never even got to dry off, and one that I doubt will make it, as the egg was quite damaged and there was a little blood when I tried to help it. The other I helped (as it looked like the two eggs had been smashed together) looked ok when I put it back under momma. I did see one new little fuzzy black chick, likely an NN, along with the two older ones I added last night. One egg still unhatched, so five accounted for. Not sure where number six is, but not a ton of hope for it.

Sounds like you need to pull any chicks out and put them in a brooder for three days to let them grow a bit then re introduce them after they are strong enough to move around on their own ...

When you reintroduce them do it in the evening so mom wakes up in the morning and wont be so willing to peck at them ...

Good luck ....

 

[Pent]

I half did that, and took the silkies out. Still not really behaving in a very nurturing manner to the others, though.

 

[gander007]

I half did that, and took the silkies out. Still not really behaving in a very nurturing manner to the others, though.

Not all good incubators are great brooders so are you going to put all the chicks in a brooder and take care of them yourself ???

 

[Pent]

Dunno, some say the rolling them around in the dust is normal, and the non-silkies seem fine. Think I'll take a wait and see approach.

 

[gander007]

I do that a lot of times with my chickens and it is funny just to watch them anyway .........