Need help with broody hen

[ColinK48]

I posted a thread yesterday, but it’s kinda dead now. I have a broody hen that somehow ended up with a staggered hatch. One egg hatched yesterday mid day I think. Another hatched last night. And not this afternoon I came home and saw the baby’s and the mama out. I put her back on the eggs that weren’t cold but not warm either. Anyways a third chick hatched but the holds sack is not all the way absorbed. It’s alive but has it’s eyes closed. It’s also pretty small. I’m trying to get her to stay on it, but she definitely want to go out with the two that hatched. So basically 2 hatched, one just hatched but seems to be struggling and there are 5 more eggs that haven’t peeped but are fertile and growing. Yesterday I was recomended to leave the chick so I did. I’m not sure how well it going to work out though cause I don’t know if she will want or be able to sit on the rest of the eggs tell they hatched. If if have any ideas on what I should do please help

 

[Painted Calls]

@casportpony can you help here? If not, do you know someone to tag?

 

[MGG]

I posted a thread yesterday, but it’s kinda dead now. I have a broody hen that somehow ended up with a staggered hatch. One egg hatched yesterday mid day I think. Another hatched last night. And not this afternoon I came home and saw the baby’s and the mama out. I put her back on the eggs that weren’t cold but not warm either. Anyways a third chick hatched but the holds sack is not all the way absorbed. It’s alive but has it’s eyes closed. It’s also pretty small. I’m trying to get her to stay on it, but she definitely want to go out with the two that hatched. So basically 2 hatched, one just hatched but seems to be struggling and there are 5 more eggs that haven’t peeped but are fertile and growing. Yesterday I was recomended to leave the chick so I did. I’m not sure how well it going to work out though cause I don’t know if she will want or be able to sit on the rest of the eggs tell they hatched. If if have any ideas on what I should do please help

Do you have an incubator or know anyone who has one? You can't leave the one with unabsorbed yolk sack under mama, it will get infected or punctured and it will die. You have to get it in an incubator or under a heat lamp. If mama is getting up the remaining eggs will probably die if you don't get them in an incubator.

 

[ColinK48]

Do you have an incubator or know anyone who has one? You can't leave the one with unabsorbed yolk sack under mama, it will get infected or punctured and it will die. You have to get it in an incubator or under a heat lamp. If mama is getting up the remaining eggs will probably die if you don't get them in an incubator.

I don’t have a incubator. Or know someone. I have a heat plate that I used to raise chicks in the past

 

[ColinK48]

I just checked and the yoke sack is not attached. Here’s a picture. It’s trying to move and stuff, but it’s small. It’s 7 where I live now and I decided to close the door to here brooder area now so she will stay on the egg. If people have a different recommended I will do that. Also she has 5 other fertile eggs but I don’t know if she will hatch them because she went out with the first two chicks today

 

[ColinK48]

Please respond with suggestions if you have any

 

[ColinK48]

Is there a way to encourage the mom to stay on the nest for longer

 

[NorthernMIFlock]

Hi, I think once she leaves the nest that’s it . It’s such a strong instinct for them going from broody and sitting no matter what, to mama mode and making sure her chicks eat and are protected. We had to break our broody yesterday after only one of her chicks hatched out of 5. She would NOT leave the nest or the dud eggs. I took them out but she still wanted to sit. We put 4 baby chicks from the feed store in her nest last night and she took them right in and now she is in full momma mode. Nature is sure hard to wrangle with. Hope things turn out OK for you.

 

[ColinK48]

Hi, I think once she leaves the nest that’s it . It’s such a strong instinct for them going from broody and sitting no matter what, to mama mode and making sure her chicks eat and are protected. We had to break our broody yesterday after only one of her chicks hatched out of 5. She would NOT leave the nest or the dud eggs. I took them out but she still wanted to sit. We put 4 baby chicks from the feed store in her nest last night and she took them right in and now she is in full momma mode. Nature is sure hard to wrangle with. Hope things turn out OK for you.

Ok, thank you for the response. For now I’m going to leave the unhatched eggs because I know they are fertile. Right now she has 2 strong chicks and a weak one

 

[MGG]

Sorry! I had a really busy evening yesterday. How is it today? If you can't get one I suppose leaving it under mama is your only hope. They probably won't make it though unfortunately. She won't stay on them long enough to finish incubating them, and even if you force her to, she really needs to be with her chicks. It's a tough situation.