madelinedwight
Hatching
- Mar 11, 2015
- 2
- 0
- 7
Hello I am in desperate need of what to do with my chicks that are hatching. I do not have an incubator instead I have a broody hen that has set 7 eggs. I have only done this once before so I am still a beginner at this. I have a rooster so all my eggs are fertilized and about 23 or more days ago my chicken decided to start brooding. I did not notice this for about a week. I know i'm a horrible owner
I was so busy and I didn't think chickens would brood so early in the year. But when I did finally realize what was going on I moved her to a new spot where she and her chicks would be safe and happy for the hatch. After that I guestamated when they would hatch because I did not know the date on which she started brooding. Long story short the first ones hatched on 2/7/16. After 4 of them had hatched the mom started getting up to show them how to eat and drink. However when she got up I noticed three blue eggs that had not hatched yet. I was worried that she would abandon them now that four of the chicks had hatched but then she went to lay on them again. On Monday she had moved to a different spot and left the (STILL) unhatched eggs in the old nesting spot. Worried that they would get cold and not hatch I tried putting them under the mom in the new spot. She did not seem to mind. However today when I went up to check on them again she had moved to the old spot again! and left the still unhatched eggs... Ugh. I candled the three eggs left to make sure they weren't duds and could not figure out how to tell if they were still growing or not. I was able to identify the air sacs and saw veins on all of them so I think thats a good sign? But my biggest problem is that today when I went up to check on them one of the eggs that hadn't hatched yet had a crack in it and I could see the chicks beak poking out. It was chirping and I thought it was stuck. I freaked out and did not know what to do so I tried helping it out of the shell. I got it out and tried putting it under the mom but am so worried that it will get suffocated or something. There was a little blood on it and after freaking out about whether or not I should have helped it I read that you can help it but you should give them time to do it themselves. I also read that if the yolk sac is not absorbed all the way before it comes out of the shell that is not good either. Keep in mind I read all that after I helped the chick out
I checked its shell after I got it out and a little of the sac was not absorbed all the way... I am so so worried that I could have possibly killed it or that it will die. SO MY QUESTIONS ARE: what do I do about this chick that I tried to help out of the shell? Will it die? Is there anything I can do to help it? ALSO I still have two eggs that have not hatched yet!!! I think THEY WERE LAYED ON DIFFERENT DAYS which is why they didn't hatch the same day as the first four, so Do I try to stick them under the mom to see if they will hatch?? WHAT DO I DO??
ANY HELP WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED I AM DESPERATE.
I checked its shell after I got it out and a little of the sac was not absorbed all the way... I am so so worried that I could have possibly killed it or that it will die. SO MY QUESTIONS ARE: what do I do about this chick that I tried to help out of the shell? Will it die? Is there anything I can do to help it? ALSO I still have two eggs that have not hatched yet!!! I think THEY WERE LAYED ON DIFFERENT DAYS which is why they didn't hatch the same day as the first four, so Do I try to stick them under the mom to see if they will hatch?? WHAT DO I DO?? ANY HELP WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED I AM DESPERATE.
